Soft on Rebellion
by youhaven'tmetme
Summary: Tommy sometimes wondered if he was too soft on his daughter. Tessa, ("it's like tosser with an E") of course, disagreed. Follows series with some diverges.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This isn't my first time writing but I've become a bit disillusioned with my other works on my other account. It's come with a lot of pressure and baggage I wasn't expecting so was planning on taking a break before I fell in love with Peaky Blinders. Especially as a working class northerner, it's special. I love the women characters in the show and could see my own forming as I binged, so here we are. I won't be writing with apostrophes and shortened words to show their accent because that's my accent too, and the way I speak/write/read naturally.**

 **Also, this isn't a cutsie story. This first chapter might seem so but it picks up from S1 in the next chapter and we're into the heavy stuff. I want Tessa to be a Peaky Blinder, not just the daughter/niece of one, but not for her to be one dimensional _bad girl_ either.I hope I've managed to create a complex, realistic character in not only her, but the rest of the canon cast. I'm aiming for this to be a story of all of them, not just Tessa.**

 **This story also won't just stick to canon. I've added in my own little storylines and changes to keep you guys on your toes. Warnings for language/violence throughout. I thought I could keep to T but some chapters may be M, which I'll put in an AN.**

 **I've probably forgotten to include something but for now, here you go.**

* * *

It was Arthur who started it.

Those were words often on Tommy Shelby's lips as he grew up. Arthur suffered from a serious case of second-sibling-syndrome. Going from an only child to having a little brother was a curse more than it was a blessing, to begin with. The pecking order had to be established, the boys knew. Pol and their mother didn't share this idea, however, and so they were often on the receiving end of a clipped ear.

It was Arthur who started it.

It was Tommy.

 _Arthur._

 _TOMMY!_

 _It doesn't make any difference, I'm finishing it._

And both would walk away rubbing the backs of their heads.

But this time, Tommy was adamant that the whole fuck up was entirely Arthur's fault.

* * *

 **1904, Small Heath, Birmingham.**

She was pretty, he admitted, but nothing that took his breath away. If that was even what happened. In his seventeen years, he had taken a couple of women, but none so far that could make him return the next night. Or even stay till they woke up, in fact.

He doubted that would ever happen, if he was honest. The name Thomas Shelby was well-established already. Women were either afraid of him or enamoured with the _idea_ of him. He doubted any of them could truly fit into his life, but they could fit into his bed for a night if they wished. It couldn't be said that he wasn't a gentlemen.

"Go on!"

"Shut up, Arthur," Tommy muttered, taking another swig of his whiskey. "You'll wake John up at home banging on like that."

Arthur sniggered and whacked his back. A drunk Arthur could go one of two ways: solemn and depressed, or rowdy and obnoxiously happy. Tonight was clearly the latter.

"What's wrong with her, eh? Thought you liked brunettes."

"She's fine."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Just not in the mood tonight."

He'd had to cut up a couple of his old schoolmate's fathers earlier in the day. He didn't regret it, but it didn't exactly sit lightly in his stomach.

Arthur grabbed his shoulder and shook it, leaning into him.

"Then _get in the mood_ , Tommy!" he grinned, and leant back. "I mean look at her! She's easy pickings!"

"Let it go."

Tommy held up his hand and his glass was filled again. He took a big gulp as Arthur tsk-ed beside him.

"Did something go wrong with Beth last month? Hmm? Oh, she didn't finish? Wasn't she… _satisfied_?"

"Arthur - " he couldn't help himself laughing lightly. Beth certainly had been satisfied.

"Losing your touch, little brother?" his brother continued to goad. "Not so much the ladies' man anymore? You've peaked too early, that's it."

"Fine," Tommy smiled grudgingly. "Fine. Let me finish my drink."

"Ey!" Arthur hit his back again. "Thatta boy!"

Tommy shook his head and downed his drink.

"Alright, alright."

A group of men behind them who had been listening, gave a small cheer as Tommy got to his feet, straightened out his shirt, and walked over to the girl's table.

"Excuse me," he said.

The girl looked at him, and he saw her eyes widen at the sight of him.

Then the corners of her mouth perked up, and he knew he had her.

* * *

When Tommy crept back into the house later that night, Arthur was sat in front of the fire. He saluted his brother, giggled drunkenly to himself, and took a drink. Tommy ignored him, a soft smile on his face as he made his way up to bed.

The next morning, both men had forgotten about the girl. _The_ Girl _,_ as she would later be called. They never caught her name.

* * *

 **6 months after Thomas Shelby's 18** **th** **birthday.**

Tommy was the only one awake in the house. John and Ada had gone to bed hours ago, Arthur was with a girl, their father still hadn't returned from his weekend-long bar crawl, and Aunt Pol had taken their mother out to another doctor. Doctors visits happened more under the cover of darkness, as the sunlight made Mrs Shelby's head pound twofold.

She was fading, Tommy could see. It made his chest constrict when he thought about it. But his mother had always been frail, even before having another two children after Tommy. She should never have had to keep bearing children when she could barely keep herself alive, but their father wasn't known for his kindness and understanding.

A gentle knock on the door broke him from his morbid musings. It was obviously one of the women with that softness. Perhaps they'd forgotten the key.

Tommy got up from the chair and walked to the door just as another knock sounded.

"Alright, I'm here. I'm here," he mumbled, turning the key and opening the door.

Dark brown eyes stared back at him. It took him a second to place the girl stood on his doorstep. It was the curly hair that made it click. He remembered running his hand through it while pressing his lips to hers.

"You," he said.

"Me," she said.

If his memory didn't fail him, she sounded harsher. Not exactly confident, but she certainly wasn't as meek as she had been when she had gingerly unbuttoned his shirt all those months ago.

Not knowing exactly what to do, Tommy stepped back and let her in. She breezed past him and walked into the living room. He raised his eyebrows at her familiarity and followed her.

"Tea?" he asked, deciding to be polite.

"Please."

He turned to the fire, where he had been warming up a brass teapot ready for his mother. The girl was headstrong to walk into the Shelby household with such certainty. Since their meeting, his family's reputation had only snowballed. His name was growing.

 _What's her damn name?_

Once he teemed the tea hot enough, he turned around to pour into the two cups he had set out.

"Strong or…" he looked up, and nearly dropped the pot.

Gently, he placed it on the ground and straightened up to look at the girl.

Who now held a butcher's knife to her throat.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, holding his hands out as a peace gesture. "Put it down."

"What did your brother say when you came back?" she asked, very matter-of-factly for someone with a blade at their windpipe. "Do you remember?"

"What?"

"The night you fucked me. That was your brother with you, wasn't it? Arthur? Yeah, what did he say to you when you snuck off after I'd fallen asleep?"

"Listen, I - "

"No," she snapped. " _You're_ listening. And you're answering. What did he say?"

"I… don't remember."

She snorted lightly, "You don't remember… Okay. Okay. Do you remember what they called me?"

"No."

"I do," she said. "It was six o'clock the next evening. I was stood outside The Garrison. It was Phil Narcross. He walked past me with a gang of men, pointed at me and said 'she's Tommy Shelby's whore'."

Tommy dipped his chin.

"I'm sorry," he said. He really didn't want to have to clean this girl's blood off the carpet before his mother could see it.

"I'm not finished," she spat, adjusting her grip on the knife. It pressed further into her skin as emotion tinted her voice. "He went in, and soon the entire pub knew. My friends turned away from me. And all the men turned _towards_ me. Soon it wasn't 'she's Shelby's whore' they shouted, it was 'how much?'."

A bead of blood dribbled down the pale skin of her neck.

"Put the knife down," Tommy said in his most authoritative voice.

"By order of the Peaky Blinders!?" the woman laughed, tears welling in her eyes. "By order of the Peaky fucking Blinders… I bet you never get called whores."

She had balls, that was for sure.

"My father doesn't like whores," she whispered, and the first tear fell. "You took everything from me, Tommy Shelby. Was that night worth it?"

"Hey, hey," he said, inching forwards as more beads dripped down her neck. "Think about what you're doing, eh? Killing yourself isn't the answer to your problems and even if it was, there are much nicer ways to go than by a knife."

The girl huffed a short, humourless laugh.

"Nothing about my life is nice, Tommy. You made fucking sure of that."

He made as if to say her name, then realised again that he didn't know it. Why had he never asked?

"You don't get to know my name," she said, seeing his predicament.

"Alright then. I don't need your name, all I need is for you to get out of my house. If you want to kill yourself, do it where I don't have to clean it up!"

He hoped raising his voice would make her remember her place, who he was, and what exactly she was trying to achieve by being there, but she just stood there, very calmly, as blood trickled onto the collar of her dress.

With deliberate slowness, she walked towards him, stopping just a pace away. Her eyes bore into his with intensity Tommy had never known before, even in his line of business. How could he have ever thought she wasn't anything special the first time he saw her? She was fearless.

She licked her lips, and he heard the light tap of her teeth coming back together. Lips he had tasted. Teeth that had nibbled at his neck.

"You were my first, you know. First and last. You've taken so much from me, Shelby," she almost whispered. Then a smile ghosted back onto her face. "And because I'm _so_ kind, I'm giving you something back."

And she cut.

It happened too quickly for him to stop it.

Blood immediately pooled around her as she fell. Tommy fell with her, holding her neck in a vice-like grip to keep the cut blocked, but it was too deep.

"No," he muttered, pressing harder as blood gushed through his fingers. "No, come on!"

And all the while, she stared. She died staring right into his eyes. A smirk of satisfaction. Then nothing.

Tommy stayed crouched over her, breathing heavily. He blinked, focusing on her eyes and trying to find a source, a spark, anything. Deep brown stared back, but nothing more than that.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" a voice yelled.

Tommy closed his eyes.

"Pol, where's Mum?" he asked.

"Arthur's taken her upstairs. He saw before I did," his aunt said, inching into the room. "Thomas, what the fuck have you done?"

He looked up at her, acutely aware of the blood spatter on his face. She stared back at him with unguarded anger.

"You think I did this?" he whispered. "You think _I -"_

"Then who did? And who the fuck is she?" the woman demanded.

"She did. I couldn't stop her."

"She looks like she's been garrotted," Pol said, picking up her skirts to avoid the blood and coming closer. "She's only a young'un."

"She's the same age as me."

"That right?" Polly said, raising an eyebrow at her nephew. "And who exactly are you to her to know that?"

"Oh fuck," Arthur said, coming into the room. He grimaced at the body on the floor. "Oh bloody hell, Tommy."

"Shut up, Arthur, that isn't helping," Tommy retorted, pulling himself to his feet. His hands were caked in drying blood.

"I'm not going to ask again," Polly said, her voice a deep, deathly calm. "Who. The fuck. Is she?"

Tommy and Arthur exchanged a look.

"She's his whore," Arthur supplied quickly. Ripping the bandage off, it seemed.

"She's not my whore!" Tommy yelled. "Once! It was once, and she never asked for money."

"What's her name?"

"I don't know, I never asked."

"Oh Jesus Christ, Tommy," Pol said, putting a hand to her mouth. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing," Tommy spat. "I did _nothing_. I haven't even seen her since. It's been nearly a year, then she turns up on my doorstep and slits her throat on me."

"Here," Arthur piped up.

Tommy and Pol turned to him. He nodded at the girl's left hand as he stooped and plucked something from between her fingers. He stood, and Tommy ripped the piece of paper from him.

 _7 Theresa Street_

Polly and Arthur read it over his shoulder.

"Her address?" Arthur asked.

"If it is, she's moved since last year."

"Well what are you two waiting for?" Polly said.

"What?"

"This is obviously for you. Didn't she say anything before she cut herself?"

"She said…" Tommy frowned. "She said she was giving me something back."

"Go on then, both of you."

"Why me?" Arthur said. "She's nothing to with me."

"Yes but she has something to do with your brother, and we look out for each other in this family," she said in that classic raging Polly way. "Now get out of here, and send someone to come clear her up on your way."

* * *

 _Clear her up._

Tommy kept repeating to words like a mantra. Clear. The grenade had been thrown. Clear.

"Tommy, this is it," his brother said quietly. He'd been silent the whole walk there.

They came to a stop outside the door.

"I'll go first," Arthur offered.

"No."

Tommy edged around him and pushed the door open. It was completely dark inside. The house was split into three flats, number seven being the ground floor. Very gently, he pushed open the second door into what he presumed to be the living room. Instead, it was an everything room. A mouldy couch, a rusted stove, and a shoddy heater sat around the edge of the room. And in the middle, untouched by the grime around it, was one of his caps.

Frowning, he bent to pick it up, and felt the cold blade he'd sewn into the seam.

Behind him, Arthur sighed.

"All this for a fucking hat?" he said, his voice booming around the empty flat.

Tommy sighed too. It seemed so.

They were just turning to leave when they heard it. Quiet at first, then silent. Then a second later, the tiniest of whimpers.

The brothers looked at each other.

"No," Tommy breathed.

He couldn't move. Everything inside him felt fixed together, like a jammed machine.

"Tommy," Arthur said. "Is that…?"

It was coming from the only room branching off from the one they were in.

"I…" Tommy said, but couldn't get anything else out.

"Alright," Arthur said, holding his arm out to his brother to pacify him. "It could just be a pipe or…"

"Arthur."

Tommy watched as his older brother crept towards the door, and painstakingly slowly, opened it. He let go and let it open the full way. His face fell.

"Oh, _fuck."_

* * *

Arthur carried it home. When Polly opened the door, she closed her eyes for half a minute and just stood there, before letting them in. Tommy followed ten seconds later, his eyes fixed somewhere in the middle distance. He only snapped back to reality when he felt Polly's hand on the side of his face.

"Stupid boy," she whispered, and ushered him in.

The body was gone. Only wet flooring remained.

It was asleep in Arthur's arms when Polly took it from him. He thought it might have woken up, but instead it just closed its eyes again and was silent.

Polly clutched it close to her chest and the sight made him turn away. He wanted to vomit. No, he wanted to hit something. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare that had gone on long enough.

"Poor thing's freezing," Polly said to herself. She looked up at the boys. "Don't you two go anywhere. I'll be back."

Their aunt and it disappeared through the door to the stairs, and there was silence.

"Tommy," Arthur said when it had gone on too long. "Are you sure it's yours? She had a reputation - "

"She said I was her first and last," Tommy said, his voice breaking on the first syllable. He didn't care. "She said she was going to give me something of mine."

"She could have been lying."

"What reason does a dead girl have to lie?"

They both fell quiet again as Polly returned. It was now swaddled in one of Ada's old blankets.

"She's a girl," Polly said.

Tommy turned away.

"She's yours?"

He didn't answer.

"Yes, she's his," Arthur replied for him.

Polly nodded and took a deep breath.

"She'll need a name, Thomas."

"No it won't," he said, turning back to her but keeping his gaze firmly on the floor. "Because it'll not be staying here."

"She's your child!"

"That," he said, pointing it. "Is not my child. That was _her_ child. And now it's an orphan. Take it to an orphanage where it belongs."

Saying his piece, Tommy moved Polly out of the way of the door, and disappeared up the stairs.

Polly turned to Arthur, her mouth agape.

"What just happened?"

Arthur sighed, "He's eighteen."

"So was she. In fact, she was younger when she was pregnant with this one. It's always the bloody women who have to deal with your messes, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah, she dealt with it well," Arthur said, motioning to the spot where her body had lain.

"Oi," Polly snapped. "That girl was this baby's mother. I won't have you disrespecting her memory in front of her."

"It's a baby."

Polly's glare was enough to make him give up.

"I don't care what he says," Polly said resolutely. "The girl's a Shelby. And she stays."

* * *

They were calling it Theresa, after the place they found it. Tommy thought it was much too regal to name a tiny baby, but kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to be seen as having anything to do with it. It took a couple of weeks but soon the others cottoned on and shortened it to Tess. It suited slightly better, but Tommy didn't linger too much on the thought of it.

"She's only little for her age," Pol was saying to Mrs Shelby, who was holding her granddaughter. "The doctor said she's a couple of months old. Malnourished. Hasn't had the best start."

"Well, she'll get one here."

His mother looked right at him, with intensity that a woman as frail as her shouldn't have been able to muster, but there it was. He glanced away.

"Are you gonna hold her, Thomas?" she asked expectantly.

"No."

"Thomas," Pol snapped.

" _No."_

He was only sat down with them because his mother was having a good day. Ada and John ceased their playing at his tone.

"Ey, if he doesn't want to hold her, that's the end of it," Arthur said, but Tommy could see that his brother disapproved. "Give her here."

Arthur took Tess from their mother and sat back in his chair. Tommy found himself watching as his brother grinned down at her. She held up a little fist and grabbed Arthur's thumb, making a cooing noise that could have been a laugh.

Pol and Mrs Shelby smiled, but Tommy didn't. For someone who didn't care, the sight sure made his chest pang with… jealousy? No. Anger. She shouldn't be in their family. Each second he spent around her, the more he was reminded of his fuck up.

* * *

She was crawling now. The doctor put her at 8 months, roughly. Much to Tommy's chagrin, the older she got, the more of a hit she was in the family. John and Ada doted on her, treating her like their most exciting toy. Ada dressed her up constantly, while John liked to lift her just above the floor and make her 'tap dance'. It seemed like whenever he was with his family, Tess was in the middle of the floor, someone playing with her. She was still a very quiet baby - which he was grateful for - but she had a loud laugh that was unfortunately infectious. He had found himself smiling slightly on more than one occasion, before he remembered and placed his stoic mask back on.

The business only kept growing, and growth was a certainty in their future. He couldn't be sidetracked.

The whole family were in the living room, as it was one of Mrs Shelby's good days. Bar their father of course, who was out drinking or cutting someone up.

As usual, John and Ada were playing with Tess. She had grown up significantly since the last time Tommy had really looked at her. She had short but very curly brown hair like her mother, and those dark brown eyes. They were uncomfortable to look at. Sometimes it was like he was staring into the child's mother's dead orbs. The way they fixed on him as she bled out.

On her visits, Pol had said on more than one occasion that she could see Tommy's nose and mouth on her, but he didn't.

John bumped against Tommy's leg as he pulled Tess up to her feet a little less than gently.

"Come on, Tess. You need to start walking so we can go outside," he said, tugging her across the carpet.

"John," Tommy snapped before Pol or his mother could. "Be careful with her."

His brother looked back at him in shock, a look Tommy knew was reiterated by the others in the room. He didn't know where it came from. He certainly hadn't done it consciously.

"Yeah, sorry," John said, and gently let Tess down to sit. "Sorry, Tess."

She smiled back at her uncle. She was smiley around everyone. Everyone but Tommy, that was. He was a stranger to her. The way he wanted it.

* * *

Tommy threw back another drink and closed his eyes. The argument he'd had with his mother swam in his head, something that didn't happen very often. It was about her favourite topic of conversation - Tess. The child was walking now and his mother had decided it was time Tommy stepped up. He didn't share her sentiment.

The Garrison was his escape. Even when Tess got older, he would always have this place to himself. The only girls who came in here were whores, and she would never be that. He couldn't care less what she became, but he didn't believe the rest of his family would allow her to go to off-the-rails. She would probably spend her life sewing dresses until she found a man, got married, and moved out of his life for good.

"Business trouble?" Harry asked, topping up his glass.

"Worse," Tommy said, sighing. "Family."

Harry grimaced, "I'll get you a double then."

Two hours later, Tommy made his way back home. He felt he was inebriated enough to deal with whatever his mother wanted to dish out to him. But as he walked in, it wasn't his mother, but Polly sat in a chair, on one of her visits. They were becoming rarer now but she looked well and healthy, so that was no concern of his.

She had her back to him and as he walked in, she hung her head. Tommy frowned. He made his way to her and stood so that she was facing him.

"Pol?"

She avoided his eye, and he saw tears clinging to her lashes.

"Pol, what's happened?"

It was his father, he was sure. He had finally been beaten. He'd choked on his vomit in an alley. Someone had thrown him in the Cut.

Or his mother. She was so weak. And the last thing they had done was fight…

"I'm so sorry, Tommy," she whispered, her voice crackling.

He crouched in front of her.

"Pol. What's happened?"

"It's Tess."

He never thought those words could stir any emotion in him other than anger and bitterness, but there it was. Dread.

"Pol."

His voice was strange.

She looked up at him pitifully.

"She was looking at the drawing of the horse and I thought I'd give your mother a break… so I took Tess to the stable. She loved them, you should have seen her face," she took a stilted breath. "I thought it would be okay if I held her. It was only the little brown one."

"Polly," Tommy whispered. "Pol, what happened?"

Pol's face crumpled as she bent over, clutching her chest. Tommy tried to hold her up by her shoulders, but he was shaking too much.

"It bolted," Polly sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Tommy. I'm _so_ sorry."

He felt as if someone was draining the blood from his body. He felt empty yet full of fire - agony. How could that little person evoke such emotion? From someone who didn't care?

"Where is she?" he demanded raggedly. "Polly!"

"In her room," she said. "Thomas, don't go in there!"

But he was already running. He could hear her footsteps behind him as he charged up the stairs.

"Tommy, don't! You don't want to see. You don't want to see her like that!"

Somehow she managed to get around him and stood blocking the door. Her face a mess of streaky makeup and tears.

"Please, don't let this be the last image you have of her."

The burning inside him only intensified as he pushed his aunt aside and barrelled into the room. He staggered to her cot, and stopped.

The girl was laid on her back, her curly hair spread around her face and her shirt curled in one fist. Her eyes were closed as she slept peacefully. Not a mark marred her smooth, pale skin.

"You care for that girl," Pol said from the doorway, all pretence of sadness gone. "You can't tell me otherwise."

Tommy closed his eyes, trying to get his breath back.

"You sadistic - " he snarled, but she cut him off.

"Spend some time with your daughter. You're a man now, and you're her dad. Act like it," Polly said, and closed the door.

Exhausted, Tommy let himself fall to his knees beside the cot. He rested his forehead against the wooden bars and opened his eyes again. Tess kept sleeping. She was dreaming, maybe. Or uncomfortable. Her face was twisted into a frown, the lines on her forehead illuminated by the moonlight coming through the window.

He had thought she was dead. That feeling, he would never forget. He couldn't stand to touch her, but knowing she was safe with his family allowed him not to care. Knowing she was okay, that was all he needed to be able to distance himself. The thought of not coming home to find Ada trying to braid her unruly hair or Arthur making shadow puppets for the three of them, was agonising.

As if approaching a rabid dog, Tommy cautiously slipped his hand between the bars and brushed the back of his knuckle against her cheek. Now he looked, he could see what Polly was saying. She had his nose.

"Hey, Tess," he said, barely above a whisper.

He wanted to say more - knew he should say more - but he couldn't think of anything else. What was there to say?

She sighed and he froze, wondering if she was going to wake up. Instead, she seemed to skip to her next dream. It must have been a nicer one. The frown evened out and there was even a hint of a smile on her lips. Lips that looked like his.

Tommy didn't know when he started smiling, or even when his eyes began to water. He rubbed away the tears and touched her cheek again.

"Sweet dreams, Tess."

* * *

For her second birthday, Tess was given a ball. She was given other presents, but it was the ball she fixated on. She was prone to taking it to different people and get them to throw it to her. She rarely caught it but enjoyed running after it the times she didn't. When she did, her face split into an enormous grin and whoever threw it would usually give an exaggerated celebration.

Three months later, Tommy and Arthur were out on business, Pol hadn't visited for a good few months, and Mrs Shelby was in bed. That left eleven year-old John and ten year-old Ada in charge of Tess. They sat in the shop, bouncing the ball for her. It had been fun for them at first but they had soon grown bored. They started throwing it further than they knew Tess could ever reach so she would take longer to run back. In that time, they were playing a strange board game Tommy had bought for them.

They were so wrapped up in trying to decipher the complex instructions that they didn't realise when Tess stopped bringing the ball back. It was half an hour later when John flipped the board in frustration, that they saw the distinct lack of toddler in the shop. The ball sat forgotten in the middle of the room. John looked to the open back doors and blanched.

"Hey!" he yelled, hurrying to one of his brother's men. "Did you see anyone go through those doors?"

The man's eyes rolled to the direction of the door but didn't quite focus on them. He was very obviously drunk.

 _"Uh,_ yeah. Think so."

"Who?"

"Tommy, I think. Yeah."

John and Ada relaxed and turned back to the game.

"Tommy must have taken her out," John said.

"Bit weird. Has he ever done that?" Ada asked.

John shrugged, "Wanna play cards?"

John beat Ada by a mile, but only because he was cheating and Ada refused to count those in her mind. They had grown bored of cards now and their grounding - for trying to follow Tommy to The Garrison in the middle of the night - meant they had to occupy themselves around the house. Struggling for something to do, they went to the kitchen to help their mother make dinner. She hadn't long been awake and was still weak on her feet.

"Where's Tess?" the woman asked as she slipped her two youngest a piece of chicken.

"Tommy took her out."

She smiled, "Thank God for that. Now if you wanna make yourself useful, come up here and help peel these potatoes."

Ada and John loved helping their mother cook because she always gave them tidbits as they worked. Their mother loved it because she knew it wouldn't be long before they would be out in the world and wouldn't want to help their sick mother make food. She also knew, somewhere deep inside her, that she might not even live to see that day.

With her helpers, she managed to get dinner ready for the boys returning. Arthur slumped straight in his chair and poured himself a whiskey, while Tommy lit up a cigarette and sat beside him. Both had reddened knuckles but their faces were unblemished. They had won this one.

"I hope you weren't fighting around Tess," his mother chided as she put down a plate in front of him.

"Tess? Why would I be fighting in front of Tess?" Tommy asked, frowning.

"Well, when you took her out. Have you put her upstairs?"

"We didn't take Tess out," Arthur said, his frown matching his brother's.

Their mother turned to Ada and John, who suddenly found their shoes very interesting. Tommy slowly rose from his chair.

"Where is she?"

"John? Ada?" their mother prompted.

"She…" Ada started.

"We were playing with her, then we got the game out and… she sort of… went…" John finished for his sister.

"Went. Where?" Tommy demanded in that cold, no nonsense tone of his.

John shifted under his scrutiny.

"We asked one of the guys in the shop if someone went out the back door and he said it was you."

Tommy put his hands over his face.

"It wasn't me."

He growled low in his throat.

"Right, John, get everyone in the shop out looking for her."

"I'll get the guys on the street," Arthur said, almost tripping over himself to get to his feet. "We'll find her, Tommy."

"Which door do you think she went through?" Tommy asked John, ignoring his oldest brother.

"The back ones."

"Fucking hell," he muttered, grabbing his coat off the back of the chair as he set off at a run.

He was torn between running as fast as he could, and slowing to look for her.

"Tess!" he yelled, then cursed himself. She wouldn't come to him if he shouted. While the incident with Polly had shaken him badly, he hadn't been able to try and build a relationship with her just yet.

Hadn't been able to? No. He hadn't been able to stop _putting it off._

He settled for a jog, asking people as he went if they had seen her. As more and more said no, a dark thought crept into his mind. What if someone had taken her? He had pissed off half of Birmingham and while knowledge of his daughter wasn't widespread, it wouldn't take much to figure it out. She didn't look a great deal like him, but she looked more like him than Arthur or their father.

It was ten minutes of panic later that he struck luck.

"Oh yeah, I saw a little'un earlier. Heading down to the river."

"The river?" Tommy repeated, nodding. "The river, thank you!"

He threw it over his shoulder as he ran, skidding down the bank to the end of the dock.

"Alright, Tommy?" one of the men on the boats asked.

"Have you seen a little girl? She's two, seen coming down here," he said, trying to clamp down on his panic.

"Nah, I haven't seen one."

"Nah."

"Sorry, Tommy."

He ignored them and cast a look up and down the river. She couldn't swim. How could she? She was so young. He took off his hat and worried it in his hands.

"Where are you, Tess?" he murmured. "Where are you?"

In a fit of frustration, he threw down the cap onto the ground and leant onto his knees. He took as deep a breath as his anxiety would let him, and it was in that moment of silence that he heard it. Just like he had heard her crying that night two years ago, he heard the soft clink of stones beneath an overcrop by the river. Tommy wasted no time getting to it. He knelt and found Tess sat on the concrete, skimming stones off each other.

"Tess," he said, relief flooding him. "What are you doing out here?"

He might have been too harsh, too sharp with his tone, but Tess just stared back at him.

"M'okay, Tommy," she said, almost defiantly.

He sighed, still out of breath, and held out his hand.

"Come on, Tess."

She let him pull her up onto the path. He dashed down her dress and looked at her arms and knees for injuries. She was completely unharmed. Only his child would manage to walk so far without so much as getting a scratch.

"Tommy!" it was John. He came charging down the path to them. "Tess! You found her!"

"Go back to the house, John. Tell everyone she's alright," Tommy instructed.

Knowing he was still on thin ice, John nodded and ran.

He looked down at Tess, and Tess looked up at him.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked.

She hesitated before shaking her head.

"You're tired?"

She nodded.

"I'm not surprised, walking this far," he said, and paused. "What if I carry you?"

She just stared. He could tell she was trying to work out his intentions. She didn't know what he was going to do to her, and the thought came very close to breaking his heart.

Without thinking, he stooped and picked her up, settling her in his arms the way he had with John and Ada. She seemed as shocked as him, but began to relax as they walked. A thin sheet of rain began to fall from the endless cloud above the city. Tess turned her head up to it and closed her eyes as the drops fell softly onto her eyelids.

Tommy watched her expression with fascination. She was so… human. She was a person, rather than a baby.

"Do you want to go see the horses?" he asked.

She turned her head back from the rain and nodded.

To Tess, they were enormous. Tommy contemplated putting her down but then remembered Polly's trick and kept her up a height. He stopped in front of the little brown horse, and went up to the stall gate.

"Hold your hand out," he said to Tess.

She looked unsure.

"Go on, he won't bite you."

"Dunno," she said in a serious tone that made him grin.

"Go on."

Cautiously, she touched her index finger to the horse's nose. It breathed out a puff of steam in the cold air. She giggled and withdrew.

"Tickled."

"Mm, they do that."

She reached out again and placed her whole hand over its nose. The horse, as well-behaved as Tommy knew, leaned into her touch slightly. She just kept smiling.

"You like horses?" Tommy asked.

She nodded, "Yeah. Like 'em."

"That's good."

"Wanna ride 'em."

"When you're bigger."

"Bigger," she agreed.

"Shall we let him sleep?" Tommy asked.

Tess nodded and pulled her hand back as Tommy walked to the stable door, "Night, night, brown house."

Tommy laughed silently at her mispronunciation of _horse._ Maybe it was time for a name change for that particular one.

They stopped in the doorway, watching the rain fall. Tess held out her hand and let it fall against her skin.

"You like rain."

"Mm-hmm."

He was getting to know more about his daughter in this hour than he had in her life.

"I'm not good at this, Tess. As you can see."

She turned back to him, her face close to his. She frowned.

"What?"

"At…" he struggled for the words. "Do you know who I am?"

"Tommy," she said confidently.

"Yes but, to you, do you know who I am?"

Her eyes fell from his face and she blinked. She thought, then looked back at him.

"Dad."

He nodded, giving a weak, "Yeah."

"What… what dad do?" she asked.

"What do dads do?" he asked. He gave a brief, bitter smile. "Tess, I have no idea."

She didn't respond.

"Do you know?" he asked.

"…No."

She was his. He had younger siblings, Ada and John, whom he knew he had to look out for. Whom he loved. But this one, Tess, she was his. She wasn't another sibling - she was his daughter. She wasn't Arthur's. Wasn't his parents'. His.

"Do you wanna give it a go?" he asked her.

She cocked her head at him in confusion.

"The dad thing. You want me to give it a go?"

She thought, and nodded.

"Yeah, please."

"Okay then," Tommy said, clearing his throat. "Shall we go home?"

* * *

Tommy was already expecting the shocked faces of his family, so ignored them as he walked into the kitchen carrying his daughter. He ignored his mother's smile as she placed a plate of sandwiches in front of them, or when she kissed the back of his head when he sat Tess on his knee.

"Want one, Dad?" Tess asked, holding a sandwich close to his face.

"Thanks, Tess," he said, taking it.

"Took you fucking long enough," Arthur said from across the table.

"Arthur," his mother scolded.

But Tommy laughed. Things didn't seem to matter now.

Tommy Shelby was a fucking dad.

* * *

 **Again, this isn't gonna be a fluffy story. It's Peaky fucking Blinders, guys.**

 **Reviews are lovely. Next chapter on Wednesday.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Whoa, cheers for the response to the first chapters, guys! That's pretty damn cool. Hope you continue to enjoy.**

* * *

 **1919, Small Heath, Birmingham**

"Which one?" Matthew asked.

"What you mean?"

"Which Shelby?"

"Does it _fucking matter?"_ Ben replied, grabbing his brother by the arm and dragging him into the alley. "I told you we shouldn't have done it."

"She was gonna be a whore anyway," Matthew brushed off. "She was fair game."

Ben shushed him and pressed himself further against the wall.

 _She's coming,_ he mouthed at his friend.

 _Please be Ada, please be Ada, please be Ada,_ they chanted in their heads.

But as the figure rounded the corner, they had repress a whimper. There was only one girl who wore trousers and suspenders. Who wore a white shirt with the first two buttons undone. Who wore a flat cap on top of her short curly hair.

Tessa fucking Shelby.

She stopped in the mouth of the alley.

"Hello, lads," she said, her Brummie accent thicker than theirs. "Alright?"

She walked up them slowly. Casually.

They backed away.

"Look, we won't bring any trouble," Ben said.

"No, no, we don't. Swear it."

"Good," she said with a smile. "Cause I'm bringing plenty of my own."

There was a moment of stillness before Matthew decided to bolt. Tessa's arm shot out and smashed into his face before he could pass her. He crumpled with a howl, which was silenced by a boot to the back of the head. She looked up at Ben.

She considered letting him get a punch in so Tommy would let her kill him, but she didn't think he was worth the effort. Instead, she made quick work of breaking the older boy's nose and at least two of his ribs. He slumped against the wall, his head hanging limply as thick rivulets of blood ran down his face. She pulled him up by the collar.

"If either of you two, or any of your little friends go anywhere near Daisy Knowles again, I'll take your head off. Right?"

He nodded desperately, clawing at her hand. She dropped him roughly and he collapsed.

"Good," she said. "See you, lads."

She stepped over the unconscious Matthew, and set off home. She was late for lunch.

* * *

The shop was bustling with activity, which Tessa was immediately swept up into. Everyone called her Tessa now instead of Tess. It came after she realised 'Tessa' sounded like 'tosser', and thought it was hilarious. Her family still called her Tess on occasion.

"Alright, Tessa!" John called to her from his place at the blackboard.

"Alright! Busy day!"

"Oh _yeah,"_ John whooped.

Nessa settled behind one of the desks and took change from a little boy sent by his family. She gave him a slip receipt and yelled for John to write it in the book.

"Next!" she yelled, and a group rushed over to her.

She took off her hat, smoothed back her hair, and got to work.

At some point through her tenth transaction, Arthur stormed past her and slammed the door to his office. She and John exchanged a shrug.

"A quid on it being your dad whose pissed him off," John grinned.

"I'm not losing money like that."

The shop only got busier as it got closer to the race but Tessa thrived off it. She liked it at this time. She liked the chaos and the noise and the irritated looks she and John would throw at each other when customers pissed them off.

An hour off the race, Tommy returned, throwing open the doors dramatically. Tessa rolled her eyes at him.

Someone to her left threw her a pile of coins.

"And what the fuck do you want me to do with that?" she asked, shoving them back to them. "Ask nicely."

A pair of hands rested on her shoulders and squeezed.

"Be nice, Tess," Tommy said, amused.

She turned to face him.

"What have you done to piss off, Arthur?"

"Nothing, I don't think."

Tessa snorted, "That's likely."

"Tommy! Tommy!" John yelled, scampering down from the board to Tessa's desk. "Tommy, look at the book. Just look."

Tessa handed him the ledger.

"All on Monaghan Boy."

"Good work, you two," Tommy said, clapping John on the back.

"Tommy!"

"Ah, there he is," Tessa said.

Arthur shot her a glare.

"Tommy, get in here. Now."

Tessa shook her head as her dad and uncle disappeared into the office. They weren't in there long, but Tessa could feel the tension as Tommy stormed back out. Arthur followed him to the door.

"I'm calling a family meeting. 8 o'clock. I want everybody there! There's trouble coming," Arthur said, and pointed at Tessa.

She held her hands up, "I'll be there, I'll be there."

"No, I know you," Arthur said, a hint of fondness in his voice. "You'll disappear off somewhere."

"Promise," she turned to John. "Can you take it from here, John?"

"What?"

Tessa ignored him as she arranged her hat properly.

"The fuck are _you_ going?" he asked.

"Got somewhere to disappear to," she grinned, and hopped over the table to the back door. "See you at eight!"

* * *

Knowing her dad would probably be in The Garrison, Tessa decided to bypass it and head down to the docks. She spent a lot of her time there, skimming stones and smoking. She technically wasn't supposed to smoke - she was limited to only a few a day - but she smoked a lot more when she wasn't around her family. It calmed her down, filled her up. She also had a reputation to upkeep. Those who didn't know her would take one look at her cap, cigarette, and scowl, and see that she wasn't 'fair game', as men put it.

It also made her look a bit more like her dad. Which could never be a bad thing when trying to be left alone. She aimed for the day when she could walk into a pub like he did, and the place would fall silent. It was about time a woman around here could do that, and not in exchange for sex.

She was closer to that dream than ever now. People like Ben and Matthew Stones were scared of her for _her,_ not for her family. They were scared because they knew she was capable of hurting them. Badly.

That was a surprisingly comforting thought to the girl. She could hurt people. She was strong. Fast. She had a razor blade sewn into her hat, just like the rest of the family. She could take care of herself, and that independence filled her with pride. She couldn't understand how Ada didn't want that, but she supposed her aunt was completely different. It didn't hinder their relationship. In fact, sometimes it improved it. If Ada needed someone checking without telling her brothers, she would mention it to Tessa.

But it was never anything too dangerous. Tessa wasn't as naive or self-obsessed as to not see that she was still sheltered by her family. If she was honest with herself, she was very, very grudgingly grateful for that. She didn't want to get that haunted look in her eye that her dad and uncles had, just yet.

"Oi, Tessa!"

She rolled her eyes as she heard them come from behind her. Richie dropped down beside her, while Eddie and Jack stood behind.

"Don't you fuckers have something better to do than bother me?" she asked, blowing a puff of smoke in Richie's face.

"Heard you did the Stoneses."

Tessa hummed, taking another pull on her cigarette.

"News travels fast."

Tessa held the smoke in her lungs for a few seconds, then let it back out. She tilted her head back up to the darkening clouds and smiled.

"They shitting themselves?" she asked.

Richie scoffed, "Won't leave their house. We threw matches through his window."

"Innovative."

Richie was her second in command, if she had to put a rank to him. A year older, he was a thick-built lad with shaved hair and a scar down the side of his face from his dad. He wasn't around anymore.

Eddie was the smallest, despite him being a few months older than Tessa, and of Italian descent. His black hair covered one eye, setting him apart from the others. He was slight, but he had something in him. He was like a vast reservoir, still and foreboding. Take away the dam and he was devastating.

Jack was also older, with a shaved head and an extraordinary left arm on him. He was the angriest, aside from Tessa when she had her moments. His family were commies but Tessa didn't really give a shit. Better a commie than a fascist, and she liked his passion.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Jack demanded, ever in need of a fight.

"It was mine."

"It was two on one."

Tessa snorted, "They're two halves of a whole. I'd say _I_ had the advantage if anything. How's your sister, Eddie?"

"Alright. Getting better."

"And you?"

"Fine."

His strained voice said otherwise. The dam was wobbling, but held.

The other day, his sister had been chased back from The Chain by a group of men she had yet to identify. They hadn't managed to catch her - she was a slippery little kid, thankfully - but it had still shaken her to the point of hysteria.

"You know what to do when she gives them up."

"Yep," Eddie said shortly.

"What's next, then?" Jack asked, crouching beside her.

Tessa shrugged, "Got an idea?"

"There's a rally - "

"Rally!" Richie burst out laughing. "You can fit 'em all behind the fucking bar in The Garrison!"

Tessa choked on the smoke, trying to restrain her laughter.

Jack shoved Richie hard enough that he had to grab Tessa to stop himself from falling off the edge and into the water.

"C'mon, Tessa," Jack said. "You could speak."

"Could I now?" she said, balancing her cig on her lip. "How kind."

"Might be fun. Cause a bit of trouble," Richie said.

"No," Jack said. "No, no trouble. Not against us, anyway."

"Against _you_ , brother. None of _us_ are commies."

"We'll go," Tessa said, and leaned over to tap ash into Richie's ear.

He swore and dodged away as she stood up and threw the cigarette into the water.

"Really?" Jack asked.

"Like a good bit of anarchy. Stick it to the man, eh?" she said, only partially mocking him.

He glared at her. She smirked and looked back up at the now much darker sky.

"Got a family meeting. Have to get back."

"Tell us?" Richie said hopefully.

Tessa scoffed, "You'd be lucky."

* * *

"Decided to join us?" Arthur said as Tessa slipped in through the doors.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, taking the seat in front of Tommy. "Lost track of time."

"Doing what?" Tommy asked.

"Nothing important. So what's this about?" she asked.

"Right," Arthur said. "I've called this family meeting because I've got some very important news. Scudboat and Lovelock got back from Belfast last night. They were buying a stallion to cover their mares. They were in a pub on Shank Hill Road yesterday and in that pub, there was a copper, handing out these."

He handed out sheets of paper. Tessa took one and pursed her lips.

" 'If you're over five feet and can fight, come to Birmingham.' " John read.

"They're recruiting Protestant Irishmen to come over here as Specials."

"To do what?" Ada asked.

"To clean up the city, Ada," Tommy said. "He's the chief inspector. The last four years, he's been clearing the IRA out of Belfast."

"How do you know so bloody much?" Arthur growled.

"Because I asked the coppers on our payroll."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm telling you," Tommy said lightly.

"Why send him to Birmingham?" Polly asked.

"There's been strikes at the BSA. And the Austin works lately."

Tessa glanced at Ada, who seemed to pale. She knew about her and Freddie.

"Now the papers are talking about sedition," Tommy continued. "And revolution. I reckon it's communists he's after."

"So this copper's gonna leave us alone, right?" Polly asked.

"There are Irishmen in Green Lanes who left Belfast to get away from him. Catholic men who crossed him used to disappear."

"But we ain't IRA. We bloody fought for the King. And anyway, we're Peaky Blinders," John grinned. "We're not scared of coppers!"

"He's right," Arthur said.

"If they come for us, we'll cut them a smile each. Eh, Tess?"

"Damn right."

He knew she was always on his side.

"So Arthur, is that it?" Tommy asked, unamused at the exchange between his brother and daughter.

"What do you think, Aunt Pol?" Arthur asked.

"This family does everything open. You have nothing more to say to this meeting, Thomas?"

Tessa turned in her chair to face him. He glanced at her briefly.

"No. Nothing that's women's business."

Irritation flared in Tessa's gut.

"This whole bloody enterprise was women's business when you boys were away at war," Polly said. "What's changed?"

Tommy barely shrugged.

"We came back."

"Oh right," Polly said. She nodded quietly to herself. "And those bruises on Tessa's hands, those are women's business as well then?"

Tessa turned straight in her chair, glaring at her aunt.

"Thanks, Pol."

Tommy leant from behind her and took her hands, lifting them up to the light. The bruising had become more prominent as the day went on.

"How did you do this?" he asked.

"You know how," she said, trying to pull her hands away but failing. He was one of the few people she would let touch her without her throwing a fit.

"Who?" John asked.

"Doesn't matter."

"Course it matters," Tommy said. "You know you're not allowed to pick fights on your own."

"I didn't _pick a fight_ , I - "

"It was the Stones brothers, wasn't it?" Ada said.

"Who?" Arthur asked.

Tessa nodded, knowing she wasn't getting out of this one. Christ, she hated family meetings.

"Why? What did they do?"

"They…" she trailed off, feeling her temper begin to rise. She looked to Ada.

"They raped one of my friends," Ada said. "Well, someone I used to go to school with. She's a little younger than me. They cornered her outside a pub."

Tommy looked back at Tessa.

"And you went to meet them on your own?"

"Come on, Dad," she said with a laugh. "I can take them with three pints of whiskey in me."

"That's not the point and you know it," he finally let go of her hands.

"Did they get a hit in?" Arthur asked.

"Not a chance."

John smiled at her.

Tommy was not smiling.

"Well since someone's forgotten the rules, here's a refresher. You," he pointed in Tessa's face. "Do not get into any fights without prior consent from one of us and - "

"What if someone jumps me?" she asked, knowing just want to do to wind him up.

"That's different."

"Do I not fight back?"

"Tessa, stop testing me," he said tightly.

"Oh no, how about next time another Ben and Matthew Stones comes along, I just lay down and take it?"

"Tessa," Pol said, and that was enough for her to stop.

She could see the burning in Tommy's eyes and knew she had pushed far enough.

"I, a woman, beat up two little shits, for another woman's honour, and for the safety of the women of this street. I think that's what's called ' _women's business',_ Dad. And you might do well to stay out of it."

"Are you done?" Tommy asked through gritted teeth.

"I'm done," she replied and folded her arms.

She caught Pol's proud smirk and had repress one of her own. They had a good relationship, she and her father, but sometimes they liked to push just a bit too far with each other.

"And that's everything?" Tommy asked Arthur.

"Yup, that's it."

"Good," Tommy said, as everyone made to get up. "Not you, Tessa."

Tessa sighed and fell back down into her chair. John squeezed her shoulder in sympathy on the way out. Ada smiled at her, and then they were alone.

"I'm sorry," Tessa said, before he could speak. "I'm sorry for provoking you, but not for going after the Stones brothers."

Tommy sat down in the chair beside her.

"You heard Arthur. There's Irish here now. This inspector is a nasty piece of work."

"So are we."

Tommy half-smiled.

"Maybe. But that doesn't mean we can afford to not be careful. You knew the Stones brothers before you went after them?"

Tessa picked at the bruise on her knuckle.

"Tess," Tommy sighed. "This stays civil until you either lie to me or don't answer my questions."

"I knew _of_ them."

"Okay. What if the people you know of them from didn't happen to mention they were Irish? How long they've been in the city? Or didn't mention that they carry guns? Or who their family is? Where their allegiances lie? What if they were setting you up?"

Tessa didn't want to answer, but knew she had to.

"I'd be dead."

"Maybe, maybe not. Don't take that chance. And don't you dare do something like this without telling me first. I don't want to have no idea where you are and then have someone drag you in here with a bullet in your thick head. Right?"

"Okay," she muttered.

"Okay," he said, and stood up. He got to the door before Tessa spoke.

"Can I ask a question?"

He turned back to her, "Yes."

"Is it because I'm a girl?"

"No. I'd treat you the same if you'd been my son. It was the same with John. Less so with me because there was only Arthur older. It'll be the same with Finn."

"Not Ada?"

"You and Ada are very different," he held out a hand and pulled her up. "Now will you go up to your room so I can tell Pol you're under house arrest?"

"If I can have a cigarette."

Tommy rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket. He pulled out three cigarettes. Tessa took them with a grin.

"Cheers, Dad," she said, and slipped through the door into the parlour.

"Alright, Tess?" Arthur asked as she passed.

She nodded.

"Yeah, he's not that scary."

She heard Arthur's laughter as she ran up the stairs.

* * *

Tommy rolled his eyes at his daughter's comment. Sometimes just how much she'd grown up while he was away was astronomical. It scared him. When he'd left, she'd been a scabby-kneed little girl with an attitude problem but an insatiable need for bedtime stories. A razor in her hat but a teddy on her window sill. He'd come back to a Peaky Blinder. She even had the uniform.

The way she spoke had changed too. Her voice carried as much authority as her presence, like his. It was difficult sometimes to distinguish between when she was asking a question or stating a fact, her tone was so straight.

He saw glimpses of the daughter he left behind when she laughed, however. It was usually when John had said something stupid or Arthur was winding her up and she didn't think he was looking. She liked to be stoic in front of him a lot of the time. Pol said something about it being because she idolised him so much that she didn't want to seem weak in front of him. One day he'd have a conversation with her about that, but for now he had enough issues to be dealing with.

Including this fucking Paddy.

* * *

The next day, Tessa was sat with Ada in the parlour, talking in very hushed tones about Freddie, when the door burst open. Their conversation was dropped immediately as Arthur stumbled in, his face dripping with blood.

"Arthur!" they both yelled.

"Polly!" Tessa shouted up the stairs. "Come quick!"

The girls helped Arthur to a seat in front of the fire.

"Are you alright?" Tessa demanded. "What happened?"

"I'm alright, Tess," he said with a forced smile. "It was the Inspector."

"I'll go get Dad," she said, and was off.

She heard Polly mutter _'she'll have the hinges off that bloody door one of these days'_ as she jumped down the step, then pounded down the street. She knew she was fast, and when people saw her running, they knew to keep out of the way. It took her a few minutes to get to The Garrison.

She shouldered the door open, knocking someone against the wall.

"OI!" they yelled, then wheeled around and saw who it was. "Oh, sorry Miss Shelby. I didn't - "

"Shut up," she said. "Where's my dad?"

"I'm here, Tess," Tommy said, opening the door to the snug. "What's happened?"

"It's Arthur. The fucking inspector beat him up."

Tommy turned to the new barmaid.

"Bottle of rum," he turned back to Tessa. "How bad?"

"He's talking and sat up but there's a fair amount of blood."

Tommy took the bottle and followed Tessa back. She wanted to sprint back but held her pace back to stay in step with Tommy. It wasn't that bad, she knew, but seeing any of her family in pain was in turn, painful for her.

They made it back and swapped positions, so that Tommy was in front.

"Let me see him," he said as he strode into the parlour. He handed his brother the bottle. "Alright, have this."

Arthur bit the cap off and took a swig while Tommy rung out a cloth from the warm water Ada had prepared. Tessa stood by, folding her arms tightly.

"Give me that," he said, and poured some of the rum onto the cloth.

He took Arthur's head in one hand and pressed the cloth to the wound with the other. Arthur hissed. Tessa winced.

"You're alright," Tommy said.

Arthur grabbed his arm.

"He said Mr Churchill sent him to Birmingham. National interest, he said. Something about a robbery."

Tessa didn't miss the look between Polly and Tommy. She made a mental note to ask about that later.

"He said he wants us to help him."

"We don't help coppers," John said.

"Especially pigs that do this to our own," Tessa said.

"He knew about all our war records," Arthur said. "He said we're patriots like him. And he knew about Tess."

"What about Tess?" Tommy asked, pausing.

"Just that she's my niece. It was just a passing comment."

"More like a threat," John added.

"I can take him," Tessa said confidently.

"Tess," Tommy said, giving her a look. She pursed her lips.

"He wants us to be his eyes and ears," Arthur continued. "I said we'd have a family meeting and take a vote."

Tommy stared down at his cigarette.

"Well why not?" Arthur said. "We have no truck with Fenians or communists."

Tommy still remained quiet.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Polly, what is wrong with him lately?"

"If I knew, I'd buy the cure from Compton's Chemist."

"He's fine," Tessa retorted, trying to curb her anger. "He's thinking. More than what half of you do."

"C'mon, Tess, I'm injured. Don't I get a free pass this time?"Arthur said.

Tessa pursed her lips, "Fine."

She glanced up at Tommy as she and Ada took over cleaning Arthur's wounds. He was still silent, lost in his head. Lost wherever his battered mind was taking him.

* * *

Like her father, Tessa couldn't sleep that night. Her blanket felt like it was trapping her, the pillow too hard to sink into, the mattress itchy beneath her. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but gave up at first light and dressed. She thought a walk in the cold air might wake her up from that mid-point between consciousnesses and tide her over until the next night. She left her jacket behind and just went out with her shirt, trousers, and hat.

No one else was up.

She decided to walk down the street with the Italian shops. She liked the smells as they set up, liked hearing them speak in their language. She was determined to learn Italian, but other things just got in the way.

Smoking her morning cigarette, she sat on the curb opposite the bakery and tipped the top of her hat to the owner when he saw her. No trouble. She closed her eyes and listened to the thrum of footsteps, of quiet conversations in beautiful accents. If only it was raining, it would have been the perfect morning.

That was until she heard whimpering.

Tessa knew who it was before her eyes opened. Danny Whizz Bang.

"Got to go bang, got to go bang… go to…" he muttered as he stumbled up the street. His eyes were wide and frantic, clearly having one of his episodes.

Tessa hadn't spoken to Danny much, only knowing he was one of her dad's friends, and who helped keep him safe during the war. That was all the incentive she needed to intervene.

She made her way over to him as he sat down outside the bakery. She crouched in front of him.

"Hey, Danny," she said, forcing a smile that seemed unnatural.

"Bang… bang…"

"No bangs here, Danny," she said, trying to remember what Tommy had told her about him. "Just smokey old Birmingham. No bangs."

His eyes wouldn't focus on her, nor would his knee stop shaking.

"Dan - "

"Hey, what you do?" the Italian man who owned the shop demanded from the step. "We're closed."

"Just give him a minute."

"Go home. Go home, crazy man. Stop bothering this girl. Go home."

He began to speak in Italian as Tessa tried her best to calm Danny. She could feel the situation slipping out of her control. It was too loud for her, and if it was too loud for her, it was much too loud for Danny.

"Okay, okay, we're going," Tessa said, getting to her feet and trying to pull Danny with her. He wouldn't budge.

" _I said - "_

"We're fucking going, man!"

 _"THEY'RE GOING TO GET ME!"_

"Danny! It's - "

" _Go home."_

And that's when she heard the flick of a knife.

"FIX BAYONETS!" Danny bellowed, and charged.

Tessa barely had time to put herself between him and the baker, managing to grab the knife from him. Danny grabbed her wrist, bringing the knife up to her throat. She pushed against him, trying desperately hard to get some leverage. She could feel people trying to pull him off her but she knew from the crazed look in his eye that the only way was going to be to get through to him, however hard.

"Danny," she said, her voice a rasp. "Danny, you know Tommy Shelby?"

"Shelby…"

The blade was at her skin now.

"Tommy, yeah. You were with him. In France. I'm his daughter," she tried to wriggle to get some room around her throat. "And he's your friend. Yeah, you helped save his life."

Something flickered in him.

"You're… you're Tommy's girl?"

"Yes," she said. "That's me."

"Tess?"

"Yeah, Tess."

Suddenly, he seemed to realise what he was doing and immediately let him go. Tessa wanted nothing more than to fall to the ground and catch her breath but the guilt spread across Danny's face made her hold on. She stored the knife in the waistband of her trousers.

"I'll be keeping this," she said to the baker coldly, voice crackling.

By the time she turned back, Danny had set off at a run. She managed to catch up easily and found him against the wall of a butchers. He was crying.

"Danny, it's alright. I'm alright," she said showing him her arms. They were sore but not cut. Her neck was free from blood too.

"I tried to kill a man," he said. "If you hadn't been there, I would've killed him."

Tessa tried to ignore the dread in the bottom of her stomach. The Italians wouldn't take kindly to that. They were tightly-knit, and vicious when provoked.

"Yeah well, you didn't."

"It's gonna make no difference to them," he sobbed. "Fuck, I wish I'd died out there."

Tessa stood above him, not knowing how to comfort a crying man.

"I… I'm glad you didn't. 'Cause maybe then my dad wouldn't have come back. There's my selfish reason. But you've got kids, right?"

He nodded.

"You think they wished you'd died out there?"

He shook his head.

"No. So get up, man," she hoisted him up. "Get up and go home. Tell your wife. Tell your kids. I'll talk to Tommy, see if we can sort this out."

"The Italians will have gotten to him by now."

"I have no doubt," she said, rubbing her forehead. "But I have influence they don't."

He nodded, and kept nodding as he walked away. Tessa leant against the wall and sighed. She pulled her sleeves down and saw that she would only have bruises, thankfully.

 _Should be grateful you still have your fucking head attached._

Tessa steeled herself for a difficult conversation, and headed back home.

* * *

The Italians had already paid them a visit before Tessa returned. They were just leaving when Tessa rounded the corner. They paused when they saw each other, then they tipped their hats. Tessa nodded back. A thank you. Good. That meant leverage. Tommy stepped out of her way to let her in, but she didn't miss the quick assessment of her condition he did as she passed.

"Just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Pol said as she entered the parlour.

"Didn't exactly plan my morning around it," Tessa muttered.

"You alright?" Tommy asked, emerging through the door after he'd seen the Italians off.

Tessa pulled down her collar to show him her unmarked skin.

"Head's still on," she said.

"Don't joke about that," Pol said. "He could have killed you."

"He could have killed that baker and we'd have an even bigger disaster on our hands. This is the best case scenario."

"Best case scenario is he didn't do it at all," Tommy sighed.

"What did you agree?" she asked.

Tommy hesitated.

"They want him dead."

" _What?_ But he didn't kill him!"

"He nearly did. And they remarked how 'savage' he was when he was trying to kill you," he said bluntly.

"He didn't know where he was!"

"But it still happened. They know he's dangerous… and so do I."

"You're not seriously considering this, are you?" Tessa scoffed at his silence. "What are the arrangements?"

"I've convinced them that I'll be the one to do it. Charlie will take the body up the river and dump it somewhere away from here. The Italians will witness."

"Like fuck," Tessa spat.

"Language, young lady," Pol said.

 _"Like fuck._ Are they doing this to him. He fought for this country and now he's gonna be executed like a traitor?"

"We can't afford to start a war with the Italians."

"Oh we won't. We'll just be starting a war with one."

As she turned, Arthur seemed to materialise out of thin air and block her way out of the house. His cuts were scabbed and swollen.

"Leave this one, love," he said.

Tessa turned back to Tommy helplessly.

"He's your friend!"

"Yeah, which is why I'm gonna be the one to do it."

"That's not good enough."

"Well it's gonna have to do, Tessa. Conversation's over," he said, brushing past her and Arthur. He opened the door and pointed back to her. "Don't you leave this house."

He slammed the door behind him.

Tessa struck out and smashed a glass against the wall. Not satisfied with that, she kicked the metal grate covering the fire too and slumped into a chair, putting her head in her hands.

"You've got a temper on you," Pol said.

"Do you approve or disapprove?" Tessa asked through her fingers.

She felt the woman's hand on the top of her head, "Know when you're beaten, love."

Tessa looked up at her.

"That could have been Dad," to Arthur. "It could have been you."

Neither seemed to have an answer to that. Huffing, Tessa tore past them and went up to her room.

* * *

She didn't come down for a meal that day, or to help out in the shop as she usually did. Or even reply when John knocked and asked if she wanted to come to The Garrison. She ignored the stones thrown at her window from the boys - Richie, Jack, and Eddie - but did smile when she heard Polly yell at them to piss off.

No one wished a goodnight when they went to bed, which she was thankful for. She didn't have to hide her planning. John often told her she had a scheming face. It was obvious when she was planning something because she got a serious yet excited look about her.

She could see it in her eyes as she looked in her mirror.

Only this time, she was saving a life instead of planning to take it.

* * *

The bakery was dark as she knocked on the door. There was no sign of life, but Tessa had been there on enough early mornings to know the Italian baker slept in the room above. She waited five more seconds before picking the lock and making herself at home. She picked up a cob, chucked it in the air, and caught it again.

She had to be careful here. Violence wouldn't work. She'd have to use her head. Less like Arthur, more like Tommy.

At the sound of movement, the man above stirred. Tessa heard his footsteps across the room, then down the stairs. She waited for him.

He stopped at the sight of her, gun raised.

"What you doing here?" he asked.

"I've come to renegotiate."

"Your father already settled."

"My father didn't save your life," Tessa said, walking towards him.

He seemed surprised at her lack of fear of the gun in his hand. She took a bite of the cob and stopped just before the toe of her shoe touched his.

"I could have let him do what he wanted," she said, chewing. "I don't have any allegiance with you or your people."

She tapped very lightly on his abdomen, aware that he was lowering his gun.

"I would guess that's where he would have stabbed you. You would have bled out slowly, but eventually. Your brothers would have watched you die," she leaned in closer and swallowed. "I stopped that. _I_ did. Because the killing of innocents is something I object to. I know you don't. But one thing we can both agree on, is that you owe me."

"What would you like?"

"Spare the man."

He smiled.

"No."

"He will be taking a boat down to London," _will._ "He will not be anywhere near you or your family. You do not need to tell your brothers if need be. You can witness him leaving if you can trouble yourself to stay up. Once he leaves the city, alive, we will be square."

"And if he doesn't?"

Tessa gave him a smile of her own.

"Then you will still owe me. And I can cash in on some very, _very_ difficult requests. Let me assure you, this will be the easiest favour I ever ask of you, and it could be the last."

The baker crossed his arms.

"You're a very brash young woman."

"That's the reason you're standing."

He chuckled and walked to the back of the bakery. He stood, staring out at the blackness. A minute ticked over.

"When will he leave?" he asked, his back still turned.

"Tonight."

"Any other conditions?"

"Yes."

He turned.

"You do not tell the Peaky Blinders."

"I thought _you_ were part of the Peaky Blinders?"

"I am," she half-lied. "But they don't take kindly to offers like this. And if they get word that I've been visiting you in the middle of the night, it would be best for _your_ sake to leave the city. Do we understand each other?"

"So what's the arrangement you've come to?"

"When my father comes to the river in the morning, expecting to find you and Danny, you will explain that you were given information of him running. You tell him you are willing to let the matter slide in the name of peace. I'll make sure Danny understands too."

"You've thought this through."

"As ever."

"Then we have an agreement… with one condition of my own."

"I'll hear it."

"You owe us one more favour."

Tessa shook her head, "One saved life in exchange for another."

"One more," he said, walking up to her. "Or no deal."

She studied him.

"No sex?"

"No sex," he nodded.

He held out his hand, and she shook it.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

She nodded.

"What is your spare favour to be spent on?"

"Oh, I haven't decided yet," he said. "But you're useful to have on stand-by."

The thought wasn't exactly comforting but she pushed it aside.

"Send word when you decide. I won't speak with you until then," her gaze swept across the bakery. "Good luck with your business."

"You too," he said, smiling. "It seems to be booming."

* * *

Tessa managed to pull Danny down to the dock before sunrise. She had explained the situation, tried her best to calm his fears and made an arrangement with Charlie so that he would keep his mouth shut.

"You're gonna be alright," she said. "Just go down to London. Lie low. No doubt Tommy will find out a way to contact you eventually. You must never mention me, at all. As far as he is concerned, you ran."

"Why?" he asked, as the boat approached.

"What?"

"Why are you helping me?"

"Like I said, you served with my dad. It could have been him or one of my uncles who brought the war back home with them. Get help, Danny, and get out of here."

"How did you manage to get the Italians to agree with this?"

"It doesn't matter," Tessa said, ushering him onto the boat.

"But - "

"Go, Danny. Good luck."

He smiled.

"Thank you, Tessa."

She watched as the boat disappeared down the river and lingered after it had gone out of sight. She felt Charlie come to stand beside her as she lit up a cigarette to calm her nerves.

"I hope you know what you're doing, girl."

"I do."

"If you've got yourself in trouble, tell Tommy and the boys. They can help you."

She inhaled the cold air deeply, and turned to him.

"Thanks, Charlie. But I've got this."

* * *

Somehow, Tessa managed to climb back up to her room by the time the sun came up and the inhabitants of the house began to rise. Ten minutes after getting into bed, there was a knock at her door.

"Tess."

Tommy.

"Fuck off!" she yelled.

She had to keep up the performance. He was going to kill Danny Whizz Bang and she didn't know any different.

He seemed to wait before his footsteps pounded down the stairs.

Exhausted, Tessa actually managed to sleep.

* * *

 **Tessa saving the baker isn't just for shits and giggles, promise. It's gonna be a big part of Tessa's character arc. Also, the other members of the Shelby family get a lot more screentime in the next chapters. Oh, also, those boys aren't gonna be part of any romantic subplot. Dinnat worry yourselves.**

 **Excitin' times.**

 **Thanks for the reviews, loves!**

 **Until the next one!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Danny bolted," Tommy said, leaning against the doorway to the parlour.

"Oh, fuck," Arthur replied as he cleaned the still healing cut on his forehead. "So what, we're at war with Italians now?"

"Don't be so dramatic," Polly chided.

"No…" Tommy said.

"Why are you saying it like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you can't quite believe it."

Tommy blew out a trail of smoke and took another drag of his cigarette.

"They seemed so certain on it. It isn't in character for them to just accept that he would be gone. They'd want some sort of penance."

"Just be glad they don't," Pol said, putting a cup of tea in front of him. "Tessa will be happy at least."

"How is she?" Tommy said, interested.

"What?" Polly sighed.

"Well…"

"You don't think she had something to do with it?" Arthur asked incredulously. "What sway would our Tess have over the Italians?"

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Well don't be," Polly said. "She stayed in the house all day yesterday like you said and now she's upstairs, sick."

"She's sick?"

"Temperature," Polly nodded. "She's been sleeping all morning. I'm gonna get her up now or she won't sleep tonight."

"Y'know she's not a baby anymore," Arthur laughed.

Polly smacked him on the back of the head as she went. She returned with Tessa trailing behind. She was paler than usual and dark marks lined her eyes.

"Alright, Tess?" Tommy asked.

"I'm not talking to you."

"Sit down, love," Polly said, sliding her a cup of tea and some jam and bread.

"Thanks, Pol."

"And Tommy's got something to tell you."

Tessa looked up to find him studying her. She hated when he did that. He was searching for answers and she couldn't afford to give them up. Telling her family would escalate things, and that was when people got hurt. For all she knew, the baker would never cash in his favour, and they could forget all about the whole business.

"Danny ran away last night. He got on a boat to London. He's alive."

Tessa made her eyes widen, trying to seem shocked.

"That's wonderful."

Tommy didn't say anything as she swapped her attention to her lunch, but she could feel his eyes on her. And not just hers. Tessa glanced to her left and saw Polly staring at her too. Was she really so transparent?

"Well, Arthur and I better get going. We're meeting up with John and then going to the faire. It's a shame you're so sick, Tessa, or you could have come," Tommy said as he and Arthur got to their feet. "See you, Pol."

Tessa avoided their eye as they passed, and let out a breath when the door shut.

"You must really be sick," she said. "To not put up a fight over that."

She shrugged, "Not that fussed."

"Really?"

"Really," Tessa said, and pushed her plate away. "I'm gonna go back to bed, see if I can sleep it off."

* * *

She didn't go back to sleep straight away. She just turned the situation over and over in her mind. It was the biggest decision she had ever made on her own, and she wasn't even sure if she should have made it. Had she made things worse? Had she signed her own death warrant?

Now she was being dramatic. Pol always said the more you think about something, the worse it gets. Tessa could understand that now. When she'd been younger, she'd had people to think for her. As she got older, she had people to think _with,_ to guide her and ultimately take responsibility. She wondered if she hadn't left that stage yet, and was punching above her weight.

It was done. Nothing more to be said, or thought about.

She slept.

* * *

She slept all day, and only woke the next morning. Maybe she had come down with something. It was only knocking that woke her. She cringed at the noise and rolled out of bed. She bet it was Pol, coming home from church. But it was soon clear that that wasn't the case. The soft knocking continued, a knock every two second, like clockwork.

Tessa fastened up her shirt buttons and pulled her suspenders up onto her shoulders as she approached the door. She took a breath and opened it.

A man smiled at her. He had light hair and a moustache. Maybe in his fifties?

Behind him, carnage reigned. People were being dragged from their houses through their broken doors, furniture being thrown out of windows. Their neighbour wailed as a vase went flying from their upstairs bedroom and shattered on the pavement.

"Thanks for knocking," she said. "I expect you want some tea, Detective Inspector."

"You know me?" the man said in a broad Irish accent.

"Of course," she said, stepping back to admit him entrance.

She and three policemen followed him into the parlour. She got to it making them tea, trying to stall. She didn't know what they had planned for her but she wasn't sure she'd be able to take four of them in such a small space. She glanced back and saw him turning over the book she was reading in his hands.

"I must say, I admire your bravery," she said.

"Hmm?" he said, placing _The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde_ back on the table.

"Coming here when the boys are out of town, so you don't get your heads staved in."

"Colourful," Campbell said.

"And of course, bringing your lapdogs with you," she said, nodding to the policemen.

She poured the tea and sat on the opposite side of the table.

"What can I do for you?"

"That depends on what you know."

"Oh, I don't get told anything," she took a sip. "I'm decoration more than anything."

"Then why don't you wear a dress?"

"Not my expertise."

She wanted to break his nose and rip off that ridiculous moustache.

Campbell smiled, "See I think you're lying to me. I think you know more than you're letting on."

"About what?"

"The stolen guns."

Tessa blinked. Well, she wasn't expecting him to mention something she actually didn't know about. She didn't know if that made the situation easier or not.

"I don't know anything about any guns."

"Really? Because from my understanding, it's your father, Thomas, in charge of things around here, not Arthur. Doesn't he let things slip occasionally?"

"I don't have much to do with the business."

"Oh. Okay. Could you explain this to me then - why were you seen beating two men within an inch of their lives just this week?"

Tessa scoffed, "'Inch of their lives?' Come on."

"Or last month," Campbell continued. "the… _Peaky Blinders_ … got into an altercation with the Marshall family, in which you were again sighted slashing a man's face to ribbons. Is that where those came from?" he asked, nodding to the bruising on her arms.

"No."

The fact he had pointed out the only injuries she had gained under honourable circumstances made her snap.

"Now if that's all you have to say to me, Inspector, I'd like to get back to bed now. I've been sick these last few days and I would hate to pass that onto you or your entourage," Tessa said with a polite smile.

"Funny," he said, staring at her. "You seem remarkably switched on to me."

"What the fuck are you doing?" Pol's voice rattled down the hallway as she burst into the parlour. She took in the scene and almost snarled. "Get out of this house."

Campbell stood up.

"Thank you for the tea, Theresa."

Tessa winced at the use of her full name as Pol closed the door behind them. She rushed back into the room.

"Are you alright, love?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Pol, do you know about any guns?"

Polly's face fell.

"He told you."

"Yes," Tessa said tightly. "He told me, but not in detail. Maybe you can fill me in."

"You wait for your dad. They'll be back any time. He should be the one to tell you."

"That's what he's here for isn't it? Not fucking communists," Tessa said.

Pol nodded.

"Does he have it under control? Dad?"

"I don't know, Tess," worry shone in her aunt's eyes. "I don't know."

Tessa slid an untouched teacup over to her and they sat in silence and waited. Tessa flipped open _Jekyll and Hyde._

An hour later, they heard the car pull up outside and almost instantly, the door was slammed open.

"Pol?!"

"We're in here," Polly shouted back, then pursed her lips.

The four boys, along with Scudboat and Lovelock came into the room. Finn stole one of the biscuits from Tessa's plate and ran back upstairs while the other three fumed.

"What the bloody hell's going on here?" Tommy demanded.

"Inspector Campbell. He's searching all the homes. The coppers told everyone Arthur agreed to it when he was arrested. They said the Peaky Blinders had cleared out to the fair to let them do it."

"I never said nothing to that copper about smashing up bloody houses."

"Did they come here?"

"Yes, Thomas, they did," Polly said shortly. "Came in and Campbell was sat at the table here with three coppers and Tess on the other side."

"They hurt you?" Tommy asked.

"Better bloody not have," John chimed in.

"No. Just talked," Tessa said, sighing.

"About what?" Arthur demanded. "I swear when I - "

"Can you calm down? He just talked. Asked me questions I didn't know the answers to, so it's a good job things didn't escalate," Tessa said pointedly to her father.

"I'm sorry, Tess," he said, realising what she was implying. He knew she knew.

"Alright," he sighed. "Which pubs did they do?"

"The Guns, The Chain, The Marquis," Pol said. "All the ones that pay you to protect them. Only one they didn't touch was The Garrison. Make sure people think we were in on it. He's smart, this copper," she took a drag of her cigarette. "So go on, get out. You'd better show people you are still the cocks of the walk."

They all filtered out apart from Tommy and Arthur.

"Hand out some cash to the landlords of the pubs. Organise the clean up," Tommy told the others as they left.

"So what about you, Tommy?" Arthur asked.

"I have to go to Charlie's to stable the horse. She looked footsore in the box."

"Let them see your faces," Pol said as she saw Arthur into the shop and closed the doors so that only she, Tommy, and Tessa remained.

"So we both know what we were looking for," Pol said.

Tommy cut a look to Tessa.

"He told me, Dad," she said, leaning her elbows on the table. "He told me about the guns."

"I figured," he said, irritated. "And what else did he say?"

"Called me Theresa. Made me want to vomit but that's not important."

"He ever comes near you again, you come and tell me, right?" he said, that fierce protectiveness rearing its head. He kept it under wraps a lot of the time, but the flash in his eyes signalled its awakening. "There's no reason for him to talk to you other than to provoke me."

"Oh that was clear," Tessa said. "Asked me why I don't wear a dress."

Tommy clenched his jaw.

"I can't guarantee he won't try to hurt you, Tess."

"I can take him," she insisted.

"You shouldn't fucking have to."

"You don't read the papers," Pol said, seeing that her nephew was one more comment from storming out and blowing the Inspector's brains all over his office.

"Racing papers," Tommy replied.

"So let me tell you the odds. 3:1 says there's gonna be a revolution."

"I wouldn't bet on that."

"That copper's betting on it. He's not gonna let it rest until he gets those guns back."

"Did he talk to you, Pol?"

"In the Church."

"Did he try to find our Ada?"

"She was sleeping."

He scoffed, "Where was she sleeping, Pol?"

"I thought you didn't care for women's business," she smiled. "He knows you're the boss. He wants to meet you. Will you talk to him?"

"No. You don't parley when you're on the back foot. We'll strike a blow back first."

"And what does that involve?" Tessa asked.

"Come with me and find out. Unless you're too sick, of course."

She glared at him and stood up.

"I've already had enough of men breathing down my neck today. If I come with you, you're gonna shut up."

"Done," he said, exasperated, and held open the door for her.

"And the boys are coming."

"… Fine."

* * *

Tessa stood between Arthur and Tommy at the bonfire. Arthur voiced his concerns that he hoped he knew what Tommy was doing. Tessa had to admit that she shared his apprehensions.

Richie, Eddie, and Jack were smart enough to stand a distance from her when she was with her family. She winked at them when they threw on their collection of the King's portrait. Jack was having the time of his life.

* * *

"Oh fuck," was all Tessa had to say.

"Oh fuck indeed," Pol replied.

"She's fucking pregnant," Tessa whispered. "How did that happen?"

"Surely I don't need to explain that to you."

Tessa made a disgusted face.

"Obviously I know. I just don't see the appeal. At all."

"Good. It causes shit like this. She's not… taking it well."

"Yeah, you know who also isn't going to take this well?" Tessa said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Let me worry about your father. Just try to keep out of trouble for the time being, eh? Give him one thing concentrate on and he won't explode."

"I think he's got more than one thing going around in head, Pol."

Polly sighed, "Those bloody guns."

"I've seen them."

"When?"

"Went to find them."

"And you did?"

"Course I did. I heard Dad telling Charlie where to put them. Don't worry, I went on my own. They're… frightening."

" _You_ think they're frightening?" Pol said, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe not the right word. They're just… big. It's like you look at them and can see exactly what they're gonna be used to do to someone. Makes me want to burn them. Or throw them in the Cut."

Polly reached across the table and touched her chin.

"You hide that big heart well, Tess," she smiled. "That's a good thing. Just don't forget about it, okay?"

Tessa frowned.

"I won't," she promised.

Their heads whipped around at the sound of the door opening. Even through the thrum of people that occupied the house as well as the shop placing bets, Tommy had an aura that made his presence known.

"Shit," Tessa said, biting her lip.

"Go upstairs," Pol said, getting to her feet. "I'll deal with his."

"I want to find Ada."

"No. I know you're worried for her, love, but it'll be better if you stay out of this one."

"Because of my mum?"

She hadn't meant to say it. It just slipped out.

Polly turned to her, a look of shock on her face. Tessa had never mentioned her mother. Ever.

"I - "

"Pol," Tommy said, stepping into the parlour. "You wanted to see me?"

Polly was still staring dumbfounded at Tessa. She tried to collect herself.

"Tess?" Tommy asked, confused.

"I'll be upstairs," Tess said, squeezing Pol's arm as she went by to let her know she wasn't upset. "Don't be too mad, Dad."

* * *

Tessa came back down once she heard the slam of the door. Pol fell down into her chair and was puffing furiously on her cigarette. Tessa sat next to her silently. The woman offered her one and she took it.

"Do you think of your mother often?" Pol asked.

"I'm not here to talk about her," Tessa said quietly, taking a drag.

"You brought her up, love."

"I didn't mean to."

She tapped the ash in the pot in the middle of the table and pushed her curls back off her face.

"No, I don't think of her. I've got enough family here."

"Good," Pol smiled. "Soon to be one more."

"Might be twins."

"Oh Christ, I hope not," Pol laughed lightly, then her smile dropped. "You know whose it is."

"Yes."

"How long have you known?"

"It wasn't my business to say. If she wanted you to know, that was Ada's decision."

"Good girl," Pol tapped her cigarette. "For someone raised in this household, you've got a surprising set of morals."

"So have you, Pol."

Polly laughed so hard she almost choked on her cigarette.

"Oh, love, that's very nice to say. We both know that's not exactly true."

Tessa shrugged, "You always do your best by us."

"I try."

Tessa looked up at the door at a light knock from the shop. She immediately put out her cigarette at the sight of Daisy Knowles.

"Daisy," Tessa said, getting to her feet. Then she realised she didn't know what to say. "How… how are you?"

Daisy shrugged, "I'm okay."

"Good."

There was an uncomfortable silence, which Pol dispelled.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked kindly, obviously remembering the name as the girl who the Stones brothers had attacked.

"Actually, could we go outside. It's a bit close in here."

Tessa saw her pull down the collar of her dress, and how the sweat ran down the side of her face.

"Yeah, coming."

She picked up her hat from the sideboard, as usual, and placed it on as they went out onto the street. A boy met them there. He was the same height as Tessa, with blonde tufty hair and freckles. He was wearing shorts and an ill-fitting jumper. Daisy's dress was greying.

"This is my brother, Reg."

Tessa held out her hand and Reg, a little confused, shook it. Tessa supposed he wasn't used to shaking girls' hands.

"I just wanted to thank you. For what you did to…" she trailed off, a dark look crossing her face. "Thanks for doing it so I didn't have to. I don't think I could get over that. I don't think I would have stopped."

"Have they bothered you again?"

"No."

"Because I could finish the job if you want."

All it would take would be for her to let them get the upper hand, mess her face up a bit, and then she would have all the permission she needed. A very small price to pay.

Daisy looked at her, hard. Then she swallowed.

"No."

"If you change your mind, you know where I am."

"You would do it?" Reg asked.

Tessa nodded.

"I have a special hatred for men who hurt women. Especially like that," she said, and didn't say any more on the subject.

"I want to go back to the pub. Wanna prove that I can, but…"

"You don't want to see them? I told them to stay away from you."

"And they probably will. But…" she trailed off again and Tessa could see the anger inside her. It seemed to radiate from her like heat.

"You don't want to take the chance?"

"I said I would be there," Reg said. "But I'm not exactly a fighter."

Tessa took one look at his skinny legs and skeletal frame and had to agree.

"When do you want to go?"

She licked her lips.

"Not tonight. It'll be busy. A lunchtime maybe. Before payday."

"Just you let me know," Tessa said. "And I'll make sure no one even looks at you the wrong way."

The girl gave her a smile, then held out her hand. Tessa took it, and smiled approvingly at the girl's tough grip. It occurred to her that she had never shaken another girl's hand before.

"Tessa Shelby, by the way. I don't think I've ever properly introduced myself."

"Daisy Rebecca Knowles."

"And Reginald Argent Knowles."

"Argent. Strange."

"I am a bit," he said, grinning. His grin faltered until Tessa returned it.

"We won't keep you if you're busy. We live just on the next street. Forth from the end if you ever want to find us," Daisy said. "Opposite the barbers."

"Right."

Tessa put her hands in her pocket, unsure what to do next.

"Right," Daisy said.

"Right," Reg repeated.

She cleared her throat.

"Right!" Daisy said, grabbing her brother and pulling him along with her down the street.

Tessa waved when she turned back, then quickly ducked inside again. She manoeuvred around the full room to get to the shop, and got behind the desk next to John.

"What's got you smiling like that?" he asked.

"Met some new people." _Or clients, anyway._ Not that she would ask for payment from them, but being hired to protect someone was a first.

"Boy?" he said, handing someone their receipt.

"The boy is most certainly not a threat, don't you worry," Tessa laughed, and got to counting the random notes and coins being thrown at her.

She didn't even tell any of the customers to fuck off, which was a first for her.

The race started and ended, and they all cleared out. Monaghan Boy lost for the first time in three races, conveniently on the day they had their most earnings. John left as they finished counting with a whoop of glee, and headed straight down The Garrison, Arthur close behind him. Finn went to bed after Tessa caught him falling asleep on top of the ledger and slobbering on the pages.

Pol had gone out, presumably to see Ada, which left her alone when Tommy returned.

He barely looked at the vast amounts of money on the table in front of them as he picked up a bottle of whiskey and sat opposite her. He tipped out a sizeable glass, and drank. Occasionally, he would give her her own glass but she felt like tonight wasn't the night to ask.

"You knew about Freddie?" he asked.

Tessa nodded.

He sighed and ran a hand down the long part of his hair.

"Fuck's sake."

"I couldn't tell you."

"I know."

That was the entirety of their conversation for the next hour as Tommy drank more, and Tessa updated the ledger. She put down the pen when she heard Polly enter, knowing it was about to get even more tense.

Their aunt put down her hat on the table and looked at the money.

"So Monaghan Boy finally lost."

"Third time unlucky. We took money from all over the city."

"Yeah but you'll pay it back to people around here. Buy your popularity back."

"Already done."

"Taught you well."

Polly leaned over the table and Tessa closed her eyes, knowing what was coming.

"And you fixed this race with permission of Billy Kimber?"

Tommy scoffed, and the next moment, the glass in his hand shattered against the wall.

"I obviously didn't teach you well enough!" Polly yelled. "Rule one, you don't punch above your weight."

"Billy Kimber is there for the taking."

"Says who? Says Tommy and his parliament of one?"

"Dad - "

"Quiet, Tessa."

"I ran this business for five years," Polly said.

"Yeah, while I was away fighting, remember? Where I learnt some things, such as you strike when your enemy is weak."

He stood up and went to get himself another glass.

"I thought you came here to talk family business."

Polly took out a cigarette.

"I'll deal with it," she motioned to the money. "You're too busy taking over the world."

"Polly. If it's about Ada, I need to know."

She sighed.

"Fine," she muttered, and took out a letter. She walked around the table and handed it to Tommy. "Ada wants you to give Freddie this letter. She wants Freddie to know she's having his baby. He deserves an opportunity to do the right thing. I say we give them a chance."

If Tessa could have slipped out without either of them noticing, she would have. She didn't want to be here for this conversation but she couldn't leave now without making a scene. Instead, she sat still, and quiet.

Tommy turned the letter over in his hands.

"For a woman who's had a hard life with men, you're still full of romance, eh? What do you think Freddie sees in our Ada?"

Polly shrugged, "That's Freddie's business."

"No. No, I'll tell you what he sees. He sees machine guns and rifles, and ammunition and some glorious revolution. I bet if Tessa was a bit older, he'd have had a toss up between the two of them. At least Tess would have the sense to see through him."

Tessa concentrated on recounting the money.

"What is it you really don't like about Freddie?"

"She'll have no life with a man on the run. If you can't see that, you can't see much," he said as he placed the letter on top of the open grate of the fire.

He slipped it into the flames just as Polly raised the poker, ready to strike. She stilled, then threw it down onto the fire with a metallic clatter.

"Damn them for what they did to you in France!" Polly shouted.

"Tell Ada, Freddie went to America," Tommy said in a false calm.

Polly brushed past Tessa to get her bag.

"Or Russia. Polly it would do no good for Ada to bring a bastard baby into the world alone. It never works. What life will the baby have, never mind Ada?"

Polly lifted her bag onto her arm and walked out into the parlour, disappearing through the door.

"The truth is, you would have hit me with that thing, but you know I'm right!"

He kicked the cabinet he was leaning on in frustration, and took a calming breath. That was when he seemed to realise that he wasn't the only one in the room. Tessa had stopped counting the money and was staring down at her lap.

"Tessa?"

She ignored him, her expression blank.

He repeated his words over in his mind, then cursed himself.

"Tess, I didn't mean - " he sighed.

"'Never works'?" she said, looking up at him.

She wasn't crying. Tommy couldn't remember the last time that she'd cried, but the light from the fire gave the illusion that her eyes were filled with tears.

"Hey, I didn't mean you. This is Ada's situation, not yours."

"But I'm a bastard. My mum brought me into the world alone. And you didn't care. How are you any better than Freddie if he doesn't come back?"

Tommy looked down at the table, trying to keep his temper in check.

"That's not fair, Tessa."

"You wanted me shipped to an orphanage. Maybe at least give Freddie the chance to see if he wants his child before making the decision for him."

Before she could say anything else she would regret, Tessa stood up and made to follow Polly, but Tommy grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"No," he said. "That wasn't how it happened."

"Arthur has a big mouth when he's drunk. You didn't even carry me home. _You_ wanted to leave me there."

"I was - hey," he pulled her back when she tried to rip away from him. "Listen. I was young, and in shock."

"For two fucking years?"

Tommy hung his head and after a moment, let her go. She shrugged off his hand and stood there.

"It wouldn't matter to me if you weren't being such a pain in the arse about Ada. You didn't like me when I was a baby. Alright. Past's past. But you're repeating it all over again by not giving Freddie a chance. Do you regret how you acted when I was little?"

"Course I fucking do," Tommy murmured.

"Then don't make the same for him, no matter how much you hate him. And trust me, no matter how much you think he suffers, I can guarantee that baby will suffer tenfold."

Tommy didn't want to leave the conversation there, knowing from Tessa's trembling voice that she was the most emotional she'd been in a long time, but what could he say? She was right. He couldn't change the past.

He sighed, reached for his new glass, and filled it right to the rim.

* * *

 **Until the next time, loves.**


	4. Chapter 4

Tessa didn't say anything to Tommy the next day. She wasn't upset. She meant what she had said - the past was past. She knew that she was loved by her family, even if it had taken a while. Not remembering any of it helped, too.

Still, there was a miserable atmosphere in the Shelby household. Tommy was distant when was there, deep in thought, no doubt about one of the many pies he has his fingers in.

Even Pol seemed lost in thought, or memory. Tessa knew she'd had a tough time with men. She didn't even know if she had any children. She'd once asked but her immediately dropped it at the sadness that entered her aunt's eyes.

John and Arthur were moody, and Ada was a no-go, which left Tessa to her own devices. She'd spent some time down by the river but couldn't help thinking about the deal she'd made with the Italians every time she saw that spot she'd watched Danny Whizz Bang onto the boat.

It was purely by chance that she bumped into Daisy and Reg, coming out of the butchers. They'd bought the cheapest cuts; more gristle and bone than meat. They'd been hesitant to say hello but fell into a semi-easy conversation as Tessa walked with them back home.

"So have you set a day for going out?" Tessa asked as they arrived at their door.

Daisy blushed and looked away.

"She's backed out," Reg said.

"Daisy?"

She fiddled with the grocery bag.

"Why?"

"I just… don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"Okay," Tessa said. "But just so you know, I wouldn't let anything happen. And we'd go in the daylight if that would help."

"Yeah, thanks," she muttered quietly.

Reg nudged her, "Go on!"

"Fuck off, Reg."

The way she said it and her brother's reaction told her they didn't swear much, if at all.

He grumbled and waved a vague hand at Tessa.

"Bye."

She was rather amused by the boy's informality. Most people wouldn't dare talk to her like that. Something told her it wasn't bravery on the boy's part, but ignorance. He hadn't seen some of the things her family had done, and what she was capable of.

"Can you wait?" Daisy said quickly.

"Uh, yeah, no - "

Daisy didn't wait for her to finish her sentence as she dashed through the door and up the stairs. Tessa watched her go with mild surprise. She put her hands in her pockets and waited on the pavement. A couple of children sprinted towards her, veering off at the last minute so they didn't hit her.

"Sorry, Miss!" the girl shouted, and carried on chasing her friend.

The other girl ducked beneath a woman's skirts. The woman grumbled and pushed her away with a long-suffering moan.

"That's cheating Helen!"

Helen giggled and darted off up the street, dodging a shaggy stray dog.

Tessa really loved this city.

"Hey."

Tessa turned her attention to the girl who now stood in the doorway. Daisy had changed into a lilac dress and short cardigan. She had put her hair up quickly but it still looked leagues better than Tessa could do.

"You look nice."

Daisy nodded, "You wanna go? Before I lose my nerve?"

Judging by how white her knuckles were around her bag, Tessa guessed that would be fairly soon.

"Where did you have in mind?"

"The Marquis?"

Tessa made a face.

"Maybe not the best idea. My dad has friends in there. He's not really fond of me going in pubs if they're not there."

"I get it," Daisy said.

Tessa knew she did. Daisy was living proof of what happened to girls when men drank and thought they ruled the world.

"What about The Tonnes? I don't think Dad has any influence there yet. It's not that far."

"Sounds good."

Tessa knew the girl was lying. She was fucking terrified, even in broad daylight. Trying to calm some of her fears, Tessa held out her arm for her to take. She did, looping her arm around hers and locking it back on her bag.

When they got to the pub, Tessa opened the door with the confidence of a Shelby. A couple of people glanced over to them and muttered things to their drinking mates. No doubt making comment about girls drinking alone. None of the comments came anywhere near to touching Tessa, even less so with Daisy at her side. She had to show her there was nothing to be scared of.

Daisy's arm was tense as Tessa led her over to a table and pulled out a chair for her.

"What do you want to drink?"

"Gin and tonic," Daisy said.

"Separate?" Tessa asked.

"No," Daisy said slowly. "Together."

"Oh. Okay. I'll just be there at the bar," she said.

Daisy's eyes were fixed on the table. She bit her lip and Tessa squeezed her arm in comfort.

"You'll be okay."

Daisy nodded silently.

Tessa crossed the room to the bar. The barman gave her a strange look, taking in what she was wearing. Tessa didn't really blame him. Daisy looked pretty and feminine in her dress, whereas she looked like a thug wearing a girl's mask.

"Whiskey and a gin and tonic. Together," Tessa added, in case he hadn't heard of it either.

He gave her a humourless smile, as if was being sarcastic. People didn't just drink gin straight? Tessa noted that to remember for next time.

Tessa took the drinks, throwing down some coins, and turned back to Daisy. She was considerably paler than before, and as she approached, Tessa realised why. A gang of boys sat in the back corner had thrown a handful of peanuts at her, and were whispering among themselves.

"What did they say?" Tessa asked, putting down the drinks but remaining standing.

"What do you think?" Daisy said, her shimmering eyes looking up at Tessa. "Asking how much."

Tessa nodded, and made to move. Daisy grabbed her arm. Tessa could have easily thrown her off but she remained still.

"Leave it. Just for now. I want to enjoy my drink," she said.

Tessa sent a look over to the group. There were five of them, just a little older than she was. One of them was laughing, his legs spread far apart and leant back into his seat. He was the one who had thrown the nuts, she was sure.

"That's Mitchell Lycett," Daisy said.

Tessa sat opposite her.

"And the others?"

Daisy looked in the reflection of the mirror hanging by the door.

"The one to the right of him is Thomas Kent."

"And the left?" Tessa asked.

"That's James Myers."

James was set apart from this friends. While they were laughing raucously, he was sat slightly off from them. He was smiling, but it seemed more polite than anything else. Then Mitchell nudged him and he gave a hearty laugh himself.

Tessa spun back to Daisy in disgust.

"Bastard pigs," she said, loud enough for them to hear, and drank.

They whooped and Tessa felt her anger rising. She could see it in Daisy too as she took a big gulp of her gin.

"One word," Tessa reminded her.

"Not yet."

"Well - "

A chorus of boos rang out from the corner of the pub and Daisy's eyes darted to the mirror.

"He's coming over."

Tessa was immediately on her feet, taking a protective stance in front of Daisy, who remained sat down. She found herself face to face with -

"James Myers," he said, holding out a hand.

Tessa ignored it.

"Go sit back down, little boy."

"I came to apologise for my friends," he said, and winced when a nut came flying at his head. "They're, uh, drunk."

"Oh, then that's okay," Tessa drawled. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Okay, okay," he tipped his cap at her. "I'm sorry - hey!"

Something catching her eye, Tessa swiped his cap from his head. She turned it upside down and held it up to the light. The bright shimmer of razor blades shone through the grey material. She raised an eyebrow at him.

She expected him to shrug cockily, but not for him to slip her own cap from her hair.

"Oi!"

He turned up the peak and showed her her blades.

"Snap."

Tessa snatched it out of his hand.

"Ow!" he hissed, blood beginning to dribble from a cut across his fingers. He showed her.

"Sorry," she said without feeling, and shoved his hat against his chest. "Now where did you get the idea for that?"

He shrugged, "My family have them. You?"

"Same," Tessa said suspiciously.

She was sure she'd never heard the Myers family mentioned before in relation to the business.

"Ever used it?" she asked.

He didn't reply and she stepped right up to his face.

"Well I have. So maybe go back to your friends there and tell them to keep the noise down. Their breath is turning the drinks bad."

James lingered for a few seconds before he smirked slightly and turned back to his table with his arms outstretched.

"Alright, sweetheart."

"Tessa, that's enough," Daisy said with a startling amount of firmness.

"No problem," she said, and sat back down.

Daisy held her chin high as she took an even bigger swig of her gin.

"Want a cigarette?"

* * *

Daisy was in considerably higher spirits on the way home. She hung on Tessa's arm more, chatting about her family. They were poor, as most were around Small Heath, but they were close. There was no denying the affection in her voice, especially when she spoke of her mother.

They bumped into the stray dog again as they turned onto her street. It rubbed against their legs and whined, obviously hungry. Tessa reached into her pocket and fed it a couple of the nuts that had been thrown at Daisy.

"Might as well be useful."

"Thanks, Tessa," Daisy said as they reached her door.

"Don't thank me," Tessa brushed off. _It was nice,_ she added in her head.

"I didn't think I'd go again," she said, sobering. "But I did it."

Tessa nodded, "You did it."

Daisy had laughed and gone inside when her mother had shouted to bring Tessa in. She must have seen the alarm on Tessa's face and made an excuse as she gave her friend a smile and closed the door.

As she set off back down the street, Tessa was acutely aware of the lack of noise at her ear and weight on her arm. She was used to being around people and while she enjoyed her alone time down near the river, she thrived from being with someone. Realising it was a Saturday, Tessa reasoned that Tommy and her uncles would probably be in The Garrison.

Perhaps a few drinks in them would have cheered them up. Tessa hoped so as she changed direction and headed over to the pub. The Tonnes was okay, but it was no Garrison.

However, as she rounded the corner, there was something amiss. There wasn't the bustling atmosphere it usually had; no men stood smoking outside or children drawing on the path with chalk.

There was a car, however. An expensive one. Tessa walked up to it, peering through the window. The interior was new, or had been meticulously cleaned. She ran her finger over the door, feeling the smooth coat of wax.

The Garrison door opened, and Tessa jumped away from the car. But not fast enough.

The man exiting stopped at the sight of her.

"You admiring my car?" he asked in an accent close to cockney.

Tessa shrugged, "S'a nice car."

Three men flanked him and Tessa took a step further back.

"You can 'ave a ride in it if you want."

"I'm alright," she said, tucking her hands into her pockets like she had seen her dad do. She schooled her features into indifference.

He tilted his head, and walked up to her. She stood her ground but was wary. Very lightly, he grasped her chin and lifted it as he inspected her face.

"No relation to the men in there, 'ave you?" he asked.

Tessa nodded, her eyes wide and innocent.

"Unlikely, sir. I'm an orphan. Then again, you never know round here."

He gave a short laugh and let go of her.

"An orphan with a shirt of that quality?"

He pinched her sleeve, then flipped her cap from her head. It landed in the road. Tessa looked at it.

"You gonna pick it up?" the man asked.

"Sir," a bespectacled man behind him said somewhat meekly. "Sir, we should be going."

"Yes," he said, looking down at Tessa with nothing short of disgust on his face. "Don't want to catch something."

As he climbed in his car, Tessa bent down and picked up her hat. She dashed down the dirt and fastened it back over her curls. She caught him looking at her from the back window. Deciding it wasn't worth the trouble, Tessa didn't hold his gaze and instead pushed open the door to The Garrison.

Arthur and John sat at a table in the middle of the room, while Tommy was pacing. At the door opening, they turned to her.

"Who was that?" she asked, settling herself in the chair where she assumed he had sat. "Must have been important."

"You don't know?" John asked.

"She was too young last time we saw him," Tommy said. "He's Billy Kimber."

Tessa dropped her hat, which she was fiddling with, onto the table.

"Sorry, what?"

"Oh don't you start," Tommy muttered, picking up her hat and inspecting the blades on the edge. She knew he'd seen the blood but had chosen not to mention it.

"My thoughts exactly, Tess," Arthur said.

"Well, however successful he is, he's downright rude."

"You spoke to him?"

"Yeah. I told him I was an orphan and he knocked my hat off."

Tommy put it back on her head, pushing her curls into her eyes. She huffed at him and straightened it up.

"Do I smell whiskey on your breath?" he asked, sniffing.

"Yeah," she said. There was no point in lying.

"Where did you get the whiskey from?"

"A pub."

"Which pub?"

"The Tonnes."

"We don't deal with The Tonnes."

"I know," she said, smiling.

"Who were you with?" John asked, eyes narrow.

"Calm down," Tessa laughed. "She's called Daisy."

"Daisy Knowles?" Tommy asked. "Was she alright?"

Tessa nodded, "I was with her, of course she was alright."

"Alright. Just come in here next time, right? So Harry can keep an eye on you."

Tessa tried not to let her shock show but John and Arthur had no problem voicing theirs.

"You sure about that, Tommy?" Arthur said.

"She's smart enough. As long as you clear out if I tell you, I have no problem with it."

"Yeah, fine!"

"And no getting drunk," Arthur added.

"Bit rich," Tessa replied. "But I can do that."

"And not with those idiots you hang about with."

Tessa gave him a look and straight up lied, "Yeah, no problem."

"Then I have no objection," Tommy said.

Tessa didn't try to hide the smile that broke across her face.

* * *

Tessa rolled her eyes at Jack's excitement at the rally. True, it was maybe a group of twenty people but it was still breaking the law and there was still a buzz. Freddie Thorne had returned from his exile, having decided to stay in the city with Ada. He was stood up on his soapbox, rattling the crowd.

"Marx reincarnated?" Tessa muttered to Richie.

She agreed with many of their policies. Tessa herself had never wanted for anything growing up - the family's business made sure of that. But they lived in Small Heath. You couldn't escape the poverty around you and even those with money would never escape their working class roots.

"Bougie bastards," she commented as the conversation turned to the generals and officers from the south.

"You're enjoying this," Jack said, smiling widely.

"You lot have a few half-decent points."

"Half decent? You understand any of this?" a man stood next to Jack asked her. "Which one's your man?"

All enjoyment suddenly drained out of her. She was waiting for this. As the only woman in many fields occupied almost exclusively by men, she wasn't unused to it. It didn't hurt anymore. It made her angry.

"You know Eleanor Aveling?" she asked, keeping her cool and lighting up a cigarette.

"Mmm? Who's she? Some posh celebrity?"

"Also known as Jenny Julia Eleanor Marx," Tessa continued as if he'd never spoken. "Karl Marx's daughter. Your hero's daughter. Heard of her?"

A few heads had turned to her now. Freddie went quiet, he too listening.

"You go on about rising up and become class conscious and all this. I get it. I've read the Manifesto. Equal rights, overthrow the capitalist system, all that shit. But none of you realise that wherever you get with it, however close you get to bringing it down, it's working class women like me who'll always be bottom of the shit pile. And you won't give a fuck. You have a guess why?"

She had the attention of the whole crowd now.

"How many women are here? Even some of you idiots can count it, that's how few. Maybe if you got the message that you need us for more than sex and cooking, you might be able to get somewhere with your idealistic fantasies. Eleanor grew up in Marx's study, was taught his work, edited his writing. _He_ recognised it. But I suppose that's just too advanced for people like you, eh? Why involve your wives when they can have a meal ready for you after you've stood about with your friends for an hour moaning about injustice? Then to keep quiet when you buy your 6p pint on your way home? Half of you are like the IRA. Only here cause you like the bloody songs."

The reception was mixed. Some grumbled and shifted their feet, but had been told what her surname was and chose to behave, while others raised their eyebrows and actually looked thoughtful. The rest were, as Tessa had pointed out, just waiting for the songs.

"But don't lose hope," she said, turning away from them. "Gotta have something to stop you from stringing yourself up from the rafters."

"Fucking Amen to that," she heard someone shout, then another preacher took the limelight.

The boys ran to catch up with her, Jack bumping her arm.

"Not a communist, my backside," he grinned.

"I'm not," Tessa said coolly. "Has it strengths and weaknesses. You lot would do well to be reminded sometimes."

"How do you know all that?" Richie asked.

"Cause I can read, Rich."

"Hey!"

"Shit, it's Freddie," Jack muttered, grabbing Tessa's arm.

"Yeah," she said. "Freddie Thorne, not the fucking pope. Get ahold of yourself."

"Tess Shelby," Freddie said as she grudgingly turned to face him. He looked her up and down. "You've grown up. Tommy must be proud."

Tessa looked at him disinterestedly.

"It's Tessa now. Like 'tosser' but with an e. And children tend to grow up, Freddie, it's nothing ground-breaking."

Richie and Eddie dragged Jack away, his starstruck gaze embarrassing all of them.

"See you tomorrow, Tessa."

She gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Now we're alone," she said, folding her arms.

Freddie nodded. Another speaker had taken over and was stoking the fire in the crowd further. They walked a little ways off to be able to hear each other. Freddie offered her a cigarette, which she accepted and leant in so he could light it with his match. He puffed on his own.

"How's Ada?"

"She's good. They're both good."

"Where is she?"

Freddie smiled wryly.

"Just like your dad, aren't you?"

"If you're trying to insult me, you're going the wrong way about it."

"Shame."

Tessa shook her head. She knew about the feud between her father and Freddie.

"Look, I don't have an issue with you, Freddie. That changes if I hear anything even slightly bad about you from Ada. But for now, I couldn't give a shit about what's going on between you and Dad."

"What you doing here?" he asked, changing the subject. "Surely he wouldn't be happy to see you at a place like this."

"He wouldn't be happy to see me most places I go."

"Is it tradition for the women in your family to rebel so much?"

Tessa shrugged, "We're outnumbered. Gotta make up for it."

"Yeah well, maybe you wanna get the same idea as Ada."

"What's that? Get pregnant?" she mocked.

"Get out," Freddie said seriously. "Your dad's moving up. The prince will soon be king, and we know what happens when you get to the top. You and Ada need to be away when that happens."

Tessa threw her cigarette onto the floor and crushed it with her heel.

"And why, in the fuck, would you care?" she asked politely.

Freddie sighed and threw his own cigarette down. He looked at her with something that made her feel uncomfortable.

"Because I think it's sad. We all changed during the War, but for someone who wasn't in France, you've maybe changed the most."

"I had to. Things didn't just stop when you pissed off to the trenches," Tessa said, trying not to be too defensive. "I had to be ready in case they didn't come home."

"You don't sound too upset about that," Freddie pointed out.

"Had a lot of time to come to terms with it. Now, piss off back to your own little revolution. I'm going home."

Tessa turned away from him, trying to put his words from her mind.

"Tell your dad I'm asking after him."

"I won't. For your sake."

He laughed, and Tessa bit the inside of her mouth. He thought he could take Tommy, Arthur, and John alone? His ignorance didn't concern her, but the consequences of it affecting Ada, did.

* * *

Cursing herself that she allowed Freddie Thorne of all people get into her head, Tessa bypassed the house and went straight to The Garrison. She had no doubt that's where everyone would be and after that conversation, she felt like she needed to be around them.

"Tessa, swee'heart!" was the jovial shout as she opened the door.

It came from Arthur, who was stood _behind_ the bar, brandishing a bottle of brandy.

"What you doing back there?" she grinned, taking her hat off and lying it on an empty table.

She ruffled her hair, freeing up her curls.

"Tommy," Arthur said with a grin, holding out his hands to his brother in a 'ta-da' sort of way.

Tommy shook his head in amusement from his stool.

"Arthur owns the pub now. You're talking to the new proprietor of The Garrison."

"Ey!" she shouted, hopping up onto the bar.

"Oi, get off. I run a reputable establishment, here," Arthur said.

Tessa slipped onto the stool next to Tommy.

"That why you're already a bottle deep in the whiskey?" she teased. "Hey do I get free drinks then?"

"Free drinks," Tommy scoffed. "You've never paid for a drink in your life."

"Did in the Tonnes," she retorted. "Extortionate."

"Get yourself down to one of the commie rallies, then," Tommy said lightly, and Tessa sighed.

"Who?"

Tommy nodded to a man at the other end of the bar.

"So how's Freddie? Did you manage to get where Ada is?"

"No, I didn't," Tessa said. "It wasn't a pleasant conversation. But he's the father of my new cousin so I'll just have to deal with it."

Tommy muttered something indiscernible under his breath.

"Oh, by the way, do you know the Myers family?" she asked.

"Myers?" Tommy repeated. "Don't think so. Arthur?"

Arthur shook his head.

"Why you ask?"

"Met the son in the Tonnes. He had a blade in his cap, like us. I thought that was our trademark so I just wondered if you knew him."

"Didn't cause you any trouble, did he?" Arthur asked.

"No. I told him where to go. Just thought you might like to know."

"Myers," Tommy said to himself, taking a drink. "I'll remember that. Thanks, Tess."

"No problem."

"Now, enough talk of business," Arthur said and clapped his hands once. "Tess, what do you want?"

"Whatever Dad's having."

"Yeah, yeah, should have guessed," Arthur said as he poured her a glass of whiskey.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tessa asked, smiling.

Arthur gave her her drink.

"Tess, Tommy could barrel headfirst over a cliff and you'd follow him."

"Alright, Arthur," she said, unconvinced.

She didn't miss the way Tommy was smiling into his glass.

* * *

Tess was out when Tommy arrived home the next night. Polly told him she'd said she'd be back before it got dark, which judging from the impending dusk, shouldn't have been a while ago. But Tommy knew his daughter. She was always late.

Now he had Ada to worry about. The copper who had punctured his tires had made it very explicit. Give up Freddie, or Ada gets put on the arrest warrant too. Why couldn't she have gone for a normal lad? Why couldn't she have found a decent bloke who would marry her and then have children, not do all of it the wrong way round and be a fugitive commie to boot. Though, Tommy realised he wasn't one to talk. There he was with a daughter and no wedding ring on his finger. Maybe he'd just hoped Ada had more sense than he had, especially after witnessing what happened to him first hand.

"Maybe that's the point," Polly said when he told her an albeit, shortened version, of his thoughts.

"Mm?"

"Well look at you and Tess. You're doing fine. Tessa's grown up to be happy and loved, if a bit rough around the edges in places. You haven't thrown in the towel. Maybe Ada thinks she can do that with her child too, if needs be."

Tommy didn't reply. In some ways, Polly was much wiser than he was. He wasn't too proud to admit that.

"Speaking of, where is that daughter of yours?" Polly said, peering out of the curtains. "It's getting dark."

"She'll be here. Always is," Tommy said.

"I'm waiting for the day she's thrown in by a copper. You know she was at a communist rally today?"

"Yes. And no copper would dare do that."

"These new ones might," Polly said, cutting him a look. "Especially if you come a cropper on those guns."

"Stop mentioning them," Tommy said irritably.

Polly raised an eyebrow at his tone.

"Too many people are getting to know about them," he said. "Arthur found out from people at the factory."

"You know how I feel about it. I told you to get rid of them and you changed your mind."

"I know."

"Tessa found them, too."

Tommy frowned.

"How did Tessa find them?"

"She heard you talking to Charlie, went and hunted them down," Polly shook her head. "'Don't worry, Aunt Pol. I was on my own'. That's what she said. She was more concerned about people not finding out than what might have actually been waiting for her. She's too bloody much like you."

"She'll grow out of it."

"You didn't."

Tommy was spared from replying by the back door opening into the parlour. Tessa entered, looking exhausted.

"Where have you been?" Polly demanded. "The streetlights have been on for ages."

"I know," Tessa said, stealing a biscuit from the plate in front of Tommy. She leant back on the table and closed her eyes.

"Busy night?" Tommy asked.

"Little bit. Eddie's sister threw a fit and went missing. Found her eventually."

"Was she okay?" Polly asked.

"Wet, and confused. Other than that, fine."

"Good. You go on up to bed, love, you look dead on your feet."

Tessa nodded, stealing one last biscuit and heading up the stairs.

"Night, Pol. Night, Dad."

"Night, Tess," Tommy said.

"I don't know where that girl gets her heart from," Polly said. "I don't think it's from us."

 _Not from her mother either,_ Tommy added but that wasn't spoken of out loud.

"She might grow out of that, too," he said, and followed in his daughter's footsteps up to his room.

* * *

He knew smoking it made the dreams more vivid, but he needed it to fall asleep in the first place, so how could he win? So he did it every night, despite knowing as soon as his head sank into his pillow, he would be back there.

It was the same dream. Always the fucking same. The heat. The sweat mingling with the dirt from the tunnel walls on his face. The look of fear in Freddie and Danny's eyes. The closeness of his stained white shirt.

The plucking. Like someone dragging their nail over a splinter. The tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. Gentle and offbeat.

Then the chaos. The screams, the noise, the blinding terror, the desperation. The walls getting smaller, squashing him against the enemy's chest. Waiting for the agony. Waiting to —

"Tommy! Tommy!"

He burst back into reality at the sound of his name, the screams of the past still clinging to him as he bolted to his feet. He shook his head and hid the evidence of his drug-taking as quickly as he could.

Then he stood, ever the soldier, steeled himself and said in the most collected voice he could muster, "It's open."

Danny Whizz-Bang opened his door. The very man of his dreams.

He stood in the doorway, and raised his hand to his forehead in a salute.

"Private Whizz-Bang reporting, sir," he said.

"At ease," Tommy said, as if that were possible.

"Dad?"

Danny turned at the voice and Tommy peered past him as Tessa appeared on the landing. She was barefoot, squinting as her eyes struggled to adjust to the light.

"What's going on?"

"Sorry to wake you, Tess," Danny apologised.

She looked at him, eyes wider now. He stared back. Tommy watched the exchange with growing dread.

"You alright, Danny?"

He nodded, "You?"

"Yeah, I'm good," she looked at Tommy. "You okay, Dad?"

He knew she knew about his nightmares.

"Go back to bed, Tess."

Reluctantly, she did, but not without another glance at Danny. Tommy knew there was something going on between them but was too afraid to ask in that moment.

Danny closed the door as she left and sat in the chair as Tommy sat on the edge of his bed.

"So, what news from London?" Tommy asked, having managed to track him down the day after he left and given him instructions to keep his ear to the ground.

"I was in a pub. It's called the Mother Redcap. An Irish pub. I got talking to this old bloke about Birmingham. He said there's been trouble. An IRA man shot. He said a lot but the only bit I heard was that their high command think it's the Peaky Blinders who shot him. I came up on the next boat to warn you. Is it true?"

"No. But lies travel faster than the truth," he thought for a beat. "Get a message to them, to send someone to parley. Tell them there's been a misunderstanding and we don't want any trouble."

Danny nodded. He looked down at his hands.

"You've got enough trouble, right Tommy?" his eyes dulled. "The whiskey… and the smoke. I can smell it in the air. I use it sometimes myself. Call it my 'sweetheart'."

They both shared a bitter laugh.

"They gave us the worst job, Tommy."

"Yeah," he ran a hand through his hair. "And we fucking volunteered… Sometimes it lasts all night. And I lie here, and I listen to the shovels and the picks against that wall there."

He motioned to it with his head, not wanting to look.

"And I pray the sun will come up at the curtains before they break through," he shook his head infinitesimally. "No, I don't pray. I hope. Sometimes it works. Sometimes the sun beats them. But mostly, the shovels beat the sun."

Tommy glanced up at Danny, and watched him blanch at the description. They both brought something home with them from war.

"Why did you run, Danny?" Tommy asked. "You know I wouldn't have shot you, even for the Italians."

Danny shifted in the chair.

"I was scared."

Tommy stared at him long enough that he looked back at him. Then back away.

"Just answer me one question," Tommy said. "Did Tess have anything to do with it?"

"No."

Tommy swung his legs up onto the bed, propping his back up against the headboard.

"I went to France to keep Tess safe. To keep your kids safe."

Danny took a long drink.

"I want to make sure she stays safe now."

"She stopped me killing that man. That's as much as she was involved."

Tommy nodded. Maybe it was his fear talking for him. Maybe it was that the thought of losing Tess was worse than all of his nightmares combined.

* * *

 **We broke 40 follows! That's pretty awesome. Cheers, guys.**


	5. Chapter 5

The nook above the river had been dubbed Tessa's hideout since the breakout of the war. It was the place she had gone when the arguments in the house got too heated, where she had curled up and cried the day they left. It was also the place Tommy had sat with her until the early hours of the morning to watch the fireworks one bonfire night when she was little, and where Eddie had hidden her present on her 12th birthday. It was a bittersweet place - and it was hers.

The nook itself was part of a mill that had gone bust and shut down. At the back, on the river side, was a little concrete balcony. An identical one sat above, providing shelter from the elements, as well as the two foot high wall around the edge. There was barely room to stand up, but you could sit comfortably.

The only way up was to pull yourself up onto the ledge and swing your body on. When Tessa was younger, she had to use things laid about near the boats to stand on and climb up that way but now she took a run and jumped. She could usually time it well enough to manage to cling onto the ledge with one jump and climb the rest of the way.

That was where Tessa and her gang could be found that day. The rest of the family had gone to the races but she didn't like going. Seeing all those women in their fancy dresses and pretty hair didn't make her feel good. It wasn't that she was jealous - it was more nuanced than that. They reminded her that she didn't fit. Not just because of her social class, but her gender too. Or lack thereof. She enjoyed being a daughter but not so much being a girl sometimes _._

"Nah, that's cheating," Jack announced, snatching his card back off Eddie. "You put two down."

"No I didn't!"

"You fucking did!"

"Jack, stop stirring things," Tessa said.

"No, if I'm playing, I wanna play proper. Give us your fucking card."

"You're such a kid!"

"I'm not the one who can't play a fucking game!"

"Jack! _Jack!"_

Their bickering ceased immediately at the little girl's voice. Tessa, being closest the edge, looked over to see Carrie, Jack's little sister. Tears coated her face as she sobbed.

"Carrie?" Jack ran to the edge and bent over. "What's wrong?"

Both he and Tessa jumped down to the ground first, followed by Eddie and Richie. Jack immediately fell to his knees and hugged his sister close to him. They were an incredibly tightly-knit family and were never afraid to show affection for each other, no matter who was around.

"What's happened, Carrie? Why are you out here on your own?"

"It's Dad," she sobbed. "They took Dad!"

A pit opened up in the bottom of Tessa's stomach.

"Who took Dad?" Jack asked, panicked. "Carrie!"

"Ma said he was an inspector."

"Shit," Richie swore.

"Where is Ma?"

"She said they're gonna kill him," Carrie cried harder, clinging onto her brother's shirt. "Dad's gonna die, Jack!"

"N-no he's not," Jack looked up at Tessa, tears in his eyes. "Tessa, he's not… he's not…"

"They've been looking for commies," Richie said quietly.

"Tessa, you can ask your dad. Your dad'll be able to do something, right?"

"They're all at the races," Eddie reminded him.

"Fuck!"

"Carrie," Tessa said. "Did you manage to hear anything they were saying?"

"I - something about being a commie. But I don't know, I was tryna get to Dad and then they saw me and shoved m-me back," Carrie hiccuped. "Jack, I want Dad."

"I know," he said, rubbing her back. His tears began to escape down his cheeks. "Tessa."

She could feel all of their eyes on her, expecting her. They didn't know about the guns or that she'd already met the Inspector. That if she was caught, the consequences would very easily become dire.

"Do you know which coppers were with him, Carrie? Any from round here or were they Irish?"

"It was the one who told us off wh-when we were throwing pips at the cabs."

"Moss. Moss, that's good," Tessa said, beginning to pace. "Okay. I can get to him easier than the Irish lot."

"Tessa, you're not actually - " Eddie started.

"Course she fucking is!" Jack exploded. "He's my dad! Otherwise what's the fucking point of all this?!"

Tessa tried not to wince.

"He's right," she said, not taking her eyes off Jack. Things were just happening. Just fucking happening. "I'm going. But Jack, I can't guarantee that I can do anything."

"You better. You better fucking do something."

After a lot of persuasion, they managed to convince Jack to take Carrie back to his house. He needed to be with his mother if nothing else than to dispel suspicion.

"You don't wanna do this, go now," Tessa said as they reached the police station. A car was parked in the adjacent alley, with a blood trail in the back of it. How she was going to get around unnoticed she hadn't quite figured out yet. "I won't tell Jack."

Eddie and Richie didn't move. Tessa nodded.

"I'm gonna go in, see what I can do. I'm making this up as I go. I don't know where I'm gonna come back out, if I do at all. If something does happen, run back to Polly, tell her what happened. Don't come after me. If I manage to get him out, we take the backstreets back to mine. Right?"

"Be careful, Tessa," Eddie said seriously.

Richie took off his hat.

"Please just come back out. Yeah?"

"I'll be fine," she lied, and turned to the window in the wall beside them.

The window was open ajar. With a spanner supplied by Eddie, she managed to lift it off its hook. Richie held it open as she shimmied in, then propped it open quietly. She landed on an office desk. She turned to the window and gave Eddie and Richie a fake confident smile before slipping off the desk and going to the door.

She pushed it open just enough to peer around. The corridor was empty. Very quietly, she followed it down to a cross roads. She closed her eyes and listened.

As if in a different building, there was a muffled yell of pain. She frowned and listened harder for the direction. It took her a few seconds to realise that it was coming from beneath her. A basement.

It took her another five minutes to find the door. The steps down were wooden and she knew her strong leather shoes would make them creak. A loving gesture from her family was turning against her. Crouching, she undid her laces and pulled them off, opting to carry them instead. It was harder than she imagined, trying to keep her weight as light as possible. She was well-versed in eavesdropping on her family but the only punishment for that was a stern lecture and a tap on the head. This would be much, much worse, and it felt that way too.

The yells intensified as she reached the bottom. Her heart constricted. At the end of the corridor, were two men. One was tied up by his wrists, his back a mess of blood and mangled skin. The other was also facing away, carving new wounds. Moss.

Tessa had barely stepped off the stairs when she heard footsteps above her. She froze.

 _Fuck._

 _FUCK._

Doing the only think she could think of, Tessa ducked behind one of the tall shelves, dropping into a crouch. She held a hand over her mouth as Detective Inspector Campbell walked down the steps, mere seconds after she had. He strode down to Moss and Jack's dad, who was whimpering softly.

"Sergeant," the Inspector said. "Any further forward?"

"No," Moss said, with a bone-deep tiredness. "Sir, perhaps we should stop."

Tessa silently celebrated. Moss was already buttered up.

"Surely you can stomach it, Sergeant, what with the war and all that. You've seen your fair share of blood."

Moss didn't reply. Tessa didn't blame him.

The war ' _and all that'_?!

"Moss?"

"This isn't Belfast, Inspector. I didn't make it through France to come home to another war."

Tessa heard Campbell's light scoff.

"Sergeant, that's _exactly_ what you did. Now keep going until he gives it up or dies. Not a moment before."

Nessa closed his eyes as his footsteps passed her, not wanting to look at him. Jack's dad was priority, not killing the Detective Inspector. Once he was gone, Tessa crept from her hiding place. Moss stood with his head down, the whip in his hand limp.

"Moss," Tessa said quietly.

He spun, the whip lashing out of its own accord. His eyes widened.

"Miss Shelby."

She tried to reign in her anger.

"That'll do, Moss. Put that down."

"What are you doing, Miss Shelby," he said, eyes darting back to the open door. "This is a police matter."

"Is it?" she asked coldly.

She walked up to him, not breaking eye contact no matter how much the blood pooling around the man behind them caught her attention. She could do this. He had reminded her. She was a fucking Shelby.

"I heard you. You've seen enough of torture, eh?" she gently tugged the whip from his grasp. "Then stop."

"You shouldn't have come here. Campbell - "

"Is a pig who'll meet its end soon. Until that time, I'll make sure you're safe. You know what my family can do. And you also know what they can do to you if I tell them you… were _untoward_ to me," she said. "Save this man, and they'll save you."

"How?" Moss asked. "How the fuck you gonna get him past the Inspector?"

Tessa pushed past him and stood in front of Mr Chapman. Blood ran in tributaries mapping across his bare skin. His face was blank as he tried to focus on her.

"Stanley Chapman? I'm Jack's friend. I'm gonna get you out."

"Jack," he whispered.

Tessa nodded, "How good are you at playing dead?"

He managed to lock his eyes on her. Red spit bubbled from the side of his mouth.

"Good enough."

Tessa stepped back around him to Moss.

"Tell the Inspector he had a seizure."

"Isn't that suspicious?"

"Not enough blood for blood loss. Shock is too specific. Seizure keeps it broad. Just act confused, I'm sure you're good at that."

Moss wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead.

"I - "

"This isn't your choice," Tessa hissed. "Look what you've done to this man. Copper or not, I'll make sure you hang for this. _If_ you don't do as I fucking say."

Moss clenched his jaw but didn't disagree.

"Go."

Tessa stepped back into the shadows as Moss left.

"Just close your eyes," Tessa said. "Think about Jack and Carrie. Stay absolutely still."

A minute later, he returned with Campbell in tow.

"He had some kind of seizure," Moss said.

"So you killed him?" Campbell asked as he circled Chapman.

Tessa held her breath as he stopped right in front of his face. They were inches apart. She imagined Chapman could feel the inspector's breath on his lips. On the skin drying with blood.

Faster than Tessa could even comprehend, Campbell struck out with something. She clapped a hand over her mouth and nose to smother her yell as Campbell embedded a penknife just below Chapman's ribs.

A thousand scenarios ran through Tessa's head. Campbell would know Moss lied, and Moss would tell him about her, and Campbell would find her and he would -

But Chapman remained limp. He hadn't even tensed as the blade went in.

Was he…?

He hadn't killed him, surely. Not now.

 _Not now. Please not fucking now._

Emotion built a knot in Tessa's throat that she didn't dare swallow.

"Did he give an address?" Campbell asked, satisfied that his prisoner was dead.

Though Tessa couldn't see him, she guessed the same shock laid on Moss's face as Campbell said,

"What's the matter with you? He fell down some stairs."

Moss didn't say anything. Tessa prayed he wasn't losing his nerve.

"Sergeant. You said this isn't Belfast. But if men like him get their way, it soon will be. So find some stairs, throw him down, and call the coroner. Use Grayson. If he has an awkward questions, ask about the welfare of his mistress in Salteley. That will shut him up."

 _Will do, Inspector,_ Tessa thought.

Moss followed the Inspector out with a risky glance at the darkness he knew Tessa was hiding. She cursed him but it seemed to go undetected. Once they had closed the door at the top of the stairs, Tessa dashed to Chapman.

She tapped his face.

"Mr Chapman? Are you alright?"

His eyes were unfocused and blurred, but his pulse fought back defiantly beneath her fingers.

"How the fuck did you manage to stay still while he stabbed you?" she asked, jumping up to the little window at the top of the wall. It was at ground level outside.

"Jack. Carrie."

"Yeah, I'll get you to them," she said but was concerned about the blood he was losing as she slammed the handle of the whip against the glass. It shattered thankfully quietly and she gave out a low whistle.

"Jack. Carrie," he muttered again, like a mantra.

Immediately, Eddie and Richie rounded the corner and fell to the ground in front of it. They caught a look of Chapman and paled.

"Fuck."

"He's gone," Moss said, rushing down the stairs.

Eddie and Richie began to scramble away until Tessa held up her hand.

"It's alright, he's with us."

"I am not - "

"Fuck off and help me untie him."

Moss and Tessa held Chapman up as he fell into the arms with a cry of agony.

"Is that a knife in him?" Eddie said, looking queasy.

"We have to leave it in. It's blocking the blood now - we take it out and he dies," Tessa said. "Now we're gonna push him up and you two need to grab his arm and pull. Try to keep him as straight as possible and don't touch that fucking knife, okay?"

They both nodded.

"You ready, Mr Chapman?"

"Jack… Carrie," he whispered.

Tessa looked up at them, "He's ready. Moss?"

Between them, they secured their grip and slowly lifted him towards the window. Chapman's mantra of his children's names soon morphed into screams of agony as the small window frame and broken glass brushed against his wounds and no doubt, broken bones.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Richie ground out as he pulled the man up.

Soon, the two boys had Chapman balanced between them on the ground outside. Tessa turned to the wall.

"Here," Moss said, and went to lift her.

She slapped his hand away.

"Don't you fucking touch me," she spat and pulled herself up.

She clambered out and took Eddie's spot under Chapman's left arm.

"Eddie, go get an ambulance to meet us at mine," she ordered. "Rich, we need to step on it."

They worked together to keep to the shadows and keep Chapman as comfortable as possible as they half-ran with him to the Shelby household. By the time they got there, they were fully carrying him. He was leaning more heavily on Tessa, his blood soaking through her shirt.

"Go get Polly," Tessa said to Richie as they burst through the parlour. "I got him, I got him."

Richie let Tessa lay Chapman on the table and he ran to the stairs.

"POLLY!" he bellowed and ran back.

Chapman's eyes stared, unseeing, up at the ceiling.

"Mr Chapman," Tessa said, grabbing his bloody hand and holding onto one of his deeper wounds. "Hey, are you with me?"

She scrambled for a pulse as Polly came hurtling into the room.

"What's all…?" she trailed off, seeing the man on her table.

"He's alive but barely," Tessa said in a trembling voice. "Eddie's gone for an ambulance."

"Fucking hell, Tess," she breathed.

"Help me!" Tessa yelled at her aunt, feeling herself beginning to lose control. Her eyes stung. "Help me, Pol!"

Polly rolled up her sleeves and held her hands to Chapman's neck while Richie kept mopping up the blood from the knife wound.

"You're gonna be alright," Tessa murmured to Chapman. "You're gonna be fine. Jack and Carrie, yeah? Jack and Carrie."

He let out a soft whine.

"I know," Polly whispered.

"Where is this _fucking_ ambulance?" Tessa spat.

Chapman hissed as Richie accidentally caught the knife. A blob of dark red blood rolled down the curve of his chest.

"Richie be careful!"

"He can't afford to lose much more blood," Polly said.

"Yeah, I know - "

"Here!" came a voice from behind the door.

"Eddie!"

"He's in here!"

Eddie burst into the parlour, followed by four doctors. They didn't react at all when they saw the state of Chapman. They must have heard the address and prepared themselves for anything.

"We've got him," they said as Tessa, Polly, and Richie let go and took a step back.

Tessa cringed at his howls as they lifted him off the table and onto the stretcher. They reached the door and had to tilt him to the side to fit him through, eliciting another screech. Tessa put her hands over her ears, unable to stand it any more. Blood dripped through the material onto the floor. It left a trail as they carried him out to the ambulance. She stared at it.

And then he was gone.

"Richie," Tessa said in a monotone voice. "Go to Jack's. Tell him which hospital. Go."

Richie nodded and ran.

* * *

The women stood in a stunned silence for a moment before Polly began to clean up the puddle on the floor. She was rolling up the carpet when she heard the bang.

"Tessa?"

Polly rushed to her great-niece's side as she fell against the kitchen counter and slid down onto the floor. Her face was ashen, punctuated by spatters of blood across the bridge of her nose and chin. One side of her hair was matted with it, while the rest of her body seemed soaked.

Her eyes were full of tears that didn't fall, but clung to her lashes.

"Tess, look at me," Polly whispered, putting a gentle hand on her cheek. "Sweetheart, look."

Tessa's eyes flickered up to hers but the expression of panic didn't leave. She took a shuddering breath.

"He was… I couldn't…" she stammered.

Polly rubbed her thumb in soothing circles on Tessa's cheek.

"Shh, love. He's alive. And so are you, no matter how stupid you are. Come on, get up."

She hooked her hands under the younger girl's arms and pulled her against her. She could feel Tessa shaking. Slowly, she began to walk.

"What we're going to do, is get you into some clean clothes and wash all this off you, alright?" Polly said, more for the sake of filling the silence than anything. "Then the boys will be back and I'll explain what happened. You don't need to worry about anything, Tess, okay?"

Tessa didn't respond.

Polly looked down at her in concern as they got to the top of the stairs.

"Will you be okay to get changed?" Polly asked, knowing how private Tessa was and not wanting to push her.

She nodded distantly, and closed the door to her room. Polly waited outside, listening as Tessa gave the occasional gasp or sniff as she changed. Then it was silent.

Polly knocked.

"Tess, are you alright?"

The door opened and Tessa stood with her bloodied clothes in her arms. Polly took them and threw them down the stairs.

"We'll get you new ones, love."

Polly guided Tessa into the bathroom and sat her on the edge of the tub as she ran some water. Softly, she washed the copious amounts of blood from Tessa's skin.

"Is it too cold for you, love?" Polly asked, seeing Tessa's shivering.

"No."

Her voice cracked on that one word and nearly brought everything down. But she managed to keep it together. One shaky breath at a time.

Once Polly had finally managed to rid Tessa's hair of blood and - in some places - bits of skin, she led her downstairs into the sitting room and onto the couch. Tessa didn't need much encouragement to lay down and didn't complain when Polly pulled three blankets over her.

"It's just the shock. It'll get better soon," Polly assured her.

"Why was this so much worse than killing someone?" Tessa whispered.

Polly put her hand back on Tessa's cheek.

"I don't know, love."

Tessa bit her lip.

"I didn't…"

Tessa brushed at her eyes before her tears could fall.

"You can cry, you know," Polly said. "I cry."

But Tessa had talked enough. She slipped back into staring in silence and Polly sat with her, stroking her cheek and rubbing her back. When she heard the car pull up outside, she disentangled herself from a now sleeping Tessa and went to meet them at the door.

"Pol!" John shouted, clearly merry. "Pol!"

She shushed them viciously as they came upon the step.

"Polly?" Tommy asked, taking in her expression. Then his eyes shifted to the pile of bloody clothes at the bottom of the stairs. He looked back up at her. "No."

"She's fine," Polly said before he could truly panic.

Arthur and John now looked completely sober.

"Right, get in here, but don't any of you make a noise. Go through to the parlour."

They bypassed the sitting room, heading straight for the parlour she had yet to clean. The boys stopped suddenly at the state of it.

"Polly, tell me what the fuck's happened," Tommy demanded.

"This is Tessa's shirt," John said, lifting up the garment which now was stiffened with dry blood.

"Where is she?" Tommy said.

"Believe me, she doesn't have a scratch on her," Polly said. "That's someone else's blood."

"Whose?" Arthur asked.

Polly pursed her lips.

"Chapman's."

Tommy's eyes widened, then closed. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Tell me she didn't."

"She's friends with his son. I don't know how we forgot."

"Wait, Chapman?" Arthur repeated. "Who the fuck is Chapman?"

"He's a communist. He talks at the rallies, friends with Freddie. We offered his address in exchange for Ada and Freddie to be left alone to get out of the city," Tommy supplied.

"But we got something wrong. Chapman didn't have Freddie's address." Polly said. "I went to see him at his mother's grave this morning. It wouldn't have worked. Chapman wouldn't have been able to give them up, so Freddie's still staying. They would have just tortured Chapman until he died, and it would have been for nothing."

"So what, Tess got him out?" Arthur frowned.

"I don't know how it happened," Polly admitted. "I just came down to a boy screaming my name and a man bleeding on my table."

"Has she spoken about Campbell? Do we know anything else?" Tommy asked. "She had to have had help."

"That's all I know."

"Right," Tommy said and turned on his heel.

"Where are you going?" Polly followed him through to the sitting room. "Tommy, she was in shock, let her sleep."

"I can't, Pol," Tommy said and knelt beside his daughter on the couch. He gently shook her shoulder. "Tess. Tessa, wake up."

Tessa woke with a sharp breath. Two quick gasps. She blinked and backed up further into the couch, seeing how close Tommy was to her.

"Hey, it's just me," he said, shuffling back a little. "Just me, Pol, Arthur, and John. Family meeting."

She stared at him, her breath still uneven. Her sudden movement trapped the blanket around herself and she threw it off in frustration. Polly went to pick it up and hovered beside her.

"Tess," Tommy said. "I know it's been a rough night. Can you answer just one question for me?"

"Come on, Tommy, this can wait," Pol snapped.

Tommy held his hand up to silence her.

"Come on, Tess. One question."

She nodded.

"Good. How did you get Chapman out?"

"Through the window," Tessa whispered.

"Bit more detail, love."

Polly softened a little at the endearment. They rarely crossed her nephew's lips since the war.

"I…" Tessa closed her eyes and saw blood. She opened them again. "Moss."

"You got Moss out of the way?" Tommy asked.

"No. H-he helped. I convinced him to help."

"How the bloody hell did you do that?" Arthur asked.

"What about Campbell?"

Tessa's face darkened.

"He stabbed him," she murmured.

"Who stabbed who?"

"Campbell. H-he stabbed Chapman. He was supposed to play dead and he just…" Tessa swallowed. "I just sat there, in the dark…"

Tommy shuffled closer and brushed her wet hair from her face.

"You're alright, you're home. You're alright. Take a breath, start over."

Tessa's head suddenly shot up.

"The coroner. Campbell told Moss to call a coroner to tell him that Chapman fell down some stairs. Dad, you gotta make sure he doesn't tell Campbell there wasn't a body. I-I've forgotten the name but it was like… I can't remember but he had a mistress in Salteley. And you gotta make sure the doctors don't ask questions or - "

"Tess, calm down."

"Tommy, that's enough."

It wasn't Polly who spoke that time - it was Arthur.

"She's been through enough. Leave her to sleep."

"Tess," Tommy held her arms to keep her still. "Everything's gonna be alright. We'll find the coroner, find the doctors, and make sure Chapman gets out of the city without Campbell knowing. Yeah? You've done the hard work, let us clean it up."

Tessa nodded, exhausted.

"Come on, help me clean this table," Polly muttered to John and Arthur, leaving Tess and her dad alone while she watched from the doorway.

Tessa laid back down and put her head on the pillow.

"You want this back on?" Tommy asked, lifting the blankets.

She barely nodded before he was settling it up to her chin. He smoothed it down and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I didn't think I could do it," she whispered.

The smile dropped.

"Then why did you?"

"Because Jack asked me. It's his dad. Like I… I couldn't let him lose him."

Tommy looked down at his daughter, no doubt seeing how much the day had cost her, just as Polly did. While they were too busy at the fucking races to realise.

"Go to sleep, Tess."

But her eyes were already closed.

"Leave her, Thomas," Polly said from the door. "Give her some space."

"I let her down."

"You can't be here all the time."

He shook his head, "I won't let anything like this happen again."

"Tommy," Pol said sadly. "Don't put that on yourself."

"I put it on myself when I let her call me 'dad', Pol," Tommy pushed off his knees and stood up. "Now we need to find this fucking coroner."


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a heads-up, I've just set up a Twitter account for this (and other fanfics coming soon) and I'll be able to talk a lot more easily on there with you guys and keep you more up to date with my update schedules/directions, etc. Follow me at you_haventmetmeyet . There's a link in my profile too. Promo over :)**

* * *

Tessa was embarrassed. She had woken up on the couch, wondering how she got there, then remembered and felt like gouging her eyes out. She had made such a fucking fuss, and in front of her dad too. She'd been weak.

The house was thankfully empty - Polly was in the bath upstairs - which allowed Tessa to escape without question. She kept her head down, hat pulled low over her eyes in case she bumped into any Blinders on the way to Jack's house. There was one person she recognised stationed outside.

"Let me through," Tessa pushed past him and opened the door.

Jack was sat on the stairs, expressionless.

"I've been waiting for you," he said.

Tessa let the door close slowly behind her.

"I… Is he alright?" Tessa asked.

Jack nodded up to the second floor.

"He's in Carrie's room. She hasn't left his side."

Tessa waited, holding her breath.

"They say he's gonna make it."

She released it, closing her eyes briefly. Jack's face didn't give anything away. He seemed so different, so stoic and flat. He was usually buzzing with energy.

"That's good."

"He has to go."

Tessa nodded, "It's for the best. Where are you going?"

"He's going to Surrey. We've got family down there."

"And you?"

"I'm staying here," he said resolutely.

Tessa frowned, "And the rest of your family?"

"Carrie's going with dad. Mum's staying. They're breaking up…" he grimaced. "Mum says she can't live with it anymore. With him. I can't leave her round here on own."

"I'm sorry, Jack."

There wasn't anything else to say, was there?

"You're the reason Dad's alive," he said bluntly. "He'd be rotting now."

"Eddie and Richie helped. Pol too."

"You shouldn't have done it," Jack said. "I shouldn't have asked you. Richie said you were out of it."

"Richie should keep his fucking mouth shut. You were right to

* * *

ask me. He's your dad. If our roles were reversed, I'd have no problem asking you to do something dangerous to help my dad. Family's more important than anything, Jack. Me and you have always seen eye-to-eye on that."

Jack stood up and stepped down to Tessa's level. Too quickly, his arms were around her. She froze, staying as still as possible as he hugged her. He pulled back.

"Thanks, Tessa."

She just stood there, completely confused and uncomfortable. But she knew why he had done it. It was a thing normal friends did, but were they friends? Richie, Eddie, and Jack weren't her friends, were they? Were all the people who worked with her family, friends?

"I'm gonna go," she said, clearing her throat. "Let me know if anything happens."

Jack nodded, "I might not be around for a bit. Just need some time together before we split up."

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll wait for you to find us."

* * *

It took an ashamedly long time of hovering outside the back door before Tessa had the courage to walk into the house, knowing at least some people would be there.

Polly and Scudboat were in the shop and stopped what they were doing at the sight of her. Tessa restrained the urge to walk back out. Instead, she held her head up and sat at the desk.

"Have you counted this lot?" Tessa asked Scudboat.

"Uh, no."

"Okay," and began counting.

"How are you feeling?" Polly asked.

"Completely fine."

That was the end of the conversation, thankfully. Polly was intuitive like that. Tommy was less so.

"It's a good day," Polly said as he entered, but he ignored her and went straight to Tessa.

"Are you alright?" he asked, sitting beside her at the desk.

"Fine," she said without looking from the stack of coins. "Busy."

"Stanley Chapman - "

"Yeah I know he's okay. I went to see Jack. His parents are splitting up and Stanley's taking his sister down to Surrey. Shit to be him at the minute."

Tessa's tone didn't deviate from base, not a drop of emotion there. He pursed his lips in frustration, a frustration Tessa shared. What did he want from her? Did he want her to turn to him and pour her heart out? But that wasn't something they did, not something anyone had taught her to do.

Anyway, there was nothing to tell.

"Where's John?" Tommy asked, his voice tight.

"John's in The Garrison," Polly said, grabbing her coat from the back of her chair and pulling it on. "We were waiting for you."

Tommy groaned.

"He says he wants a meeting about a family matter," Polly rolled her eyes at Tommy's expression. "After he's said his piece, he'll come back and take his place with Scudboat."

Tessa got up and followed them as Polly fixed her hat on.

"Scudboat," she called. "John will be here in ten minutes."

"Alright."

"Five," Tommy corrected as he passed.

Tessa walked just a little away from them on the way to The Garrison to avoid conversation. She kept thinking back to the previous night and cringing. She tried so had to be treated as an equal, as capable and indomitable, then she goes and does something like that. Now she didn't know how to act to get her reputation back. Embarrassment was fucking awful.

Knowing where John would be, Tessa headed straight for the snug in the pub and sat in one of the first chairs.

"Okay, Tessa?" he asked.

"I'm fine, fuck off," she spat back before she could stop herself.

He raised his eyebrows at Arthur, who sat opposite him. She knew what they were thinking. That she was fragile. It made her sick.

Polly sat beside Tessa, while Tommy stood by the door.

"Alright John, there's only one man - no," Tommy said as Arthur handed him a whiskey. "Give it to Tess."

Tessa accepted the drink in surprise and downed it.

"There's only one man guarding the house. What's troubling you?"

John cleared his throat, "Well, um… Polly, you know what it's been like since Martha died."

"God takes the best first," Polly said, touching John's hand in comfort.

"Truth is, my kids have been running bloody rings around me. Running barefoot with the dogs until all hours."

"Pol, give him ten bob for some shoes. Is that it, John?" Tommy said.

"Tommy, it would be better to do this without you," Pol snapped.

"You don't know what it's like, Tommy. You've only got Tess and she doesn't do anything."

Tessa folded her arms, "Sorry, what?"

"Beg to differ," Tommy muttered.

"No, I mean you've got your head on straight," John amended. "You don't need looking after. We can all rely on you. My kids are too young to do any of that. Someone needs to watch them all the time."

Tessa's brief anger dissipated. _We can rely on you._ Maybe she was overreacting.

"What the kids need… is a mum," he visibly steeled himself. "So that's why I'm getting married."

Tessa blinked, "What?"

"Does this poor girl know you're gonna marry her or are you gonna spring it on her all of a sudden?"

"I've already proposed. And she said yes."

Tessa grinned and clapped her uncle on the shoulder.

"Nice one!"

"Hold off, Tess," Tommy said, taking out two cigarettes and handing her one. "I think there's a shell about to land, and go bang."

"It's uh… It's Lizzie Stark."

Tessa's smile faded as Arthur, Pol, and Tommy snorted with laughter. Tessa had to repress a tiny giggle but then composed herself at John's expression.

"John, Lizzie Stark is a strong woman and I'm sure she provides a fine service for her customers - " Pol said.

"I WON'T… hear the word," John said, in a voice that was usually reserved for whoever was on the receiving end of one of his beatings. "Understand? Do not use that word."

"What word is that John?" Tommy asked, knowing full well.

"You know what word it is."

"Everybody bloody knows," Arthur chuckled.

"Everybody, can go to hell," John snapped back.

Tessa heard her dad sigh from behind her, and knew he was getting fed up.

"Whore?" he said. "That word? Or… prostitute - how about that one?"

"Right," John said, his anger making his face red. "I want it known that if anyone calls her a whore again, I will push the barrel of my revolver down their throats, and blow the word back down into their hearts."

" _Men_ and their cocks never cease to amaze me," Pol exclaimed. "John, Lizzie Stark's never done a day's work vertical."

"She's changed! All right! People change!" he slammed his hand down onto the table. "Like with religion!"

"So Lizzie Stark's got religion?"

"No, she hasn't got religion. But she loves me…" he looked around at the room and Tessa suddenly felt desperately sorry for him.

"Well, that's all that fucking matters, isn't it?" Tessa said, not sarcastically. "What'd you think I'd be doing if I wasn't born into this family?"

"Not that."

"It's enterprising," Tessa shrugged. "At least she's making her own money unlike a lot of women these days."

"See, exactly," John said. "She's independent! Now listen, Tommy. I won't do it without your blessing. But of all the people in the world, I want you to see it as brave."

"It's brave, alright," Arthur said.

"Brave is… going where no man has gone before," Polly began to giggle. "And with Lizzie Stark, John, that is not what you'll be doing."

Arthur choked on his drink.

"Just means she's practiced. That's a good thing, right?" Tessa said.

"Alright, Tessa," Tommy said, looking uncomfortable.

"Listen, Tommy," John said, holding his brother's arm. "Welcome her to the family. As someone who's had a hard life, hm? Because I need someone. Alright? The _kids_ need someone."

Tessa raised an eyebrow when Tommy glanced at her. He looked back at John and seemed about to give his reply when the snug door burst open. Finn all but fell into the room, panting.

"Tommy! We've been done over!"

Everyone jumped to their feet.

"Tess, go," Tommy said as they hurried from the pub.

Tessa nodded and set off at a sprint, leaving the others behind. She skidded into the shop and collided with a bleeding Scudboat. The room was completely trashed. They'd even upturned furniture as well as taking the funds.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"There were a load of them," Scudboat muttered, holding his bleeding head. "Couldn't do nothing."

"It's alright," Tessa said. "Sit down and I'll get you some whiskey."

She was just pouring it when the others arrived, looking around the devastated room in fury. They split up, inspecting different areas for the damage.

"Jesus Christ," John muttered, kicking at a chair.

"What the bloody hell happened here?" Arthur asked.

"It was the Lees," Scudboat said, accepting the whiskey from Tessa. "Cheers. It was all of them. Cousins, nephews, even their bastards."

Tessa moved from the shop to the parlour, which was also a mess. They'd ripped down photographs and broken frames, as well as taking anything of value. She frowned, however, as she picked up a pair of wire cutters. She didn't recognise them. Surely they wouldn't leave something behind?

"They've taken anything they can lay their hands on," Polly fumed, pulling open now empty drawers.

Tommy stood in the opening of his office, his expression blank but his eyes simmering with anger.

"Hey, are these ours? I don't recognise them," Tessa said, stepping into the shop and holding up the cutters.

John, Arthur, and Tommy stiffened at the sight.

"What?"

Tommy slowly walked over to her and took the cutters from her hands. He stayed by her side, frowning down at them.

"Wire cutters," Polly said. "Why would they leave wire cutters?"

"Nobody move," Arthur said urgently.

Tommy nodded, "I think our friends are playing the game."

"What game?" Pol said, heading for one of the offices.

John stopped her in her tracks.

"Aunt Pol, don't touch _anything._ "

"Erasmus Lee was in France," Tommy said.

"Shit," Scudboat whispered, getting to his feet.

"Dad?" Tessa said, aware that whatever this was, it was bad. "What's happening?"

"Whenever we gave up ground to the Germans, we'd leave behind booby traps, set up with wires. And we'd leave wire cutters, as part of the joke."

"Somewhere in here, there's a hand grenade," John said gravely.

Tessa let out a breath.

"Holy Jesus," Polly breathed.

"Attached to a wire," Arthur said, slowly beginning to survey the room with John. "Don't move any chairs or open any doors… Go easy, John Boy. Go easy."

Tommy shook his head.

"No. Boys, no. It's not in here. If it was in here, it would blown by now. It was _my_ name on the bullet Erasmus sent. He set up a trap, alright. But he set it up just for me."

Suddenly, he was moving. Tessa chased after him as he headed to the door, managing to pull him back as he reached the road.

"Wait!"

"Tessa, go back inside," Tommy said, shaking her hand off him. "Go help clean up."

"Where are you going?"

"It's none - "

"To do something ridiculous," she corrected. "You can't just go chasing down a grenade on your own."

"I'll be fine. Go."

"Dad!" she yelled.

At the same time, he yelled.

"Arthur."

Tessa growled as she felt Arthur grab her shoulder. This had happened before. Tessa would push the boundaries and Tommy would send Arthur to keep her straight until he got back from whatever 'ridiculous stunt' he was pulling. She knew there was no option but to wait and do what he wanted.

One day she was going to punch him in the face. As hard as she fucking could.

"Come on," Arthur said as he steered her back into the house.

"He's gonna get himself killed," Tessa spat, kicking at one of the cashboxes on the floor.

"We dealt with more than one grenade in France," Arthur reminded her.

She didn't like to be reminded.

* * *

Tommy found the grenade in his car. Right beneath Finn's feet. After that, Polly went into overprotective mother mode and Tommy skulked back off to his car, telling everyone he'd be back later. Tessa left him, she too subdued by the day's events.

After checking in with the boys and Daisy's family, she headed to The Garrison. Arthur and John were, surprisingly, not there so Tessa sat at the bar. It was quiet, and Tessa found company in Grace, the barmaid everyone kept telling her her dad was sweet on.

Tessa wondered if it possibly had something to do with her admittedly beautiful Irish accent.

They made amiable conversation but Tessa was careful not too mention who she was to Tommy, not knowing if her dad had mentioned him having a child previously. She wasn't going to be the one to endanger the possibility of Tommy having a relationship with someone. He deserved to be happy, no matter how much he infuriated her.

"I actually read it to one of my nieces one night I was babysitting," Grace said, leaning her elbows on the bar.

"I mean, I hate Wendy. If a random guy walked up to me and said 'hey, will you be a mother to me and my six friends here?' I'd be a bit more hesitant, you know? But I liked Peter. And Nana."

"Did you read it when you were young?"

"My aunt read it to me. She used to read me all sorts. It's probably why I love reading now."

Ada had instilled the importance of reading in her from a young age. She had tried to turn Tessa into a little protege of hers, Tessa being younger and the only other girl. She was grateful for the hours her aunt had spent telling her stories.

"Anyway," Tessa said, finishing off her drink. "I'd better get back. My family will be wondering where I am."

"Do they not mind you drinking in here? Alone?" Grace asked, and Tessa could tell she'd been wanting to ask from the moment she walked in. "How come no one bothers you?"

"My dad's a pretty scary guy."

She slipped off the stool and grabbed her coat from the bar.

"See you later, Grace."

"Wait, I didn't catch your name."

Tessa paused.

"I'm Tess. You can call me Tess."

* * *

Everyone in Small Heath knew about Tessa's tendency to break the rules, and not just those of the law. Social rules, for one, dressing and acting the way she did. Her not-giving-a-shit-attitude gave that away immediately. But of all of her indiscretions, there was one that was somewhat surprising.

The dog she'd fed peanuts to as she walked Daisy home, and somehow managed to figure out Tessa's location at all times. It waited for her outside The Garrison, followed her down to the docks, even right to her door on Watery Lane.

Instead of kicking it away like others would, Tessa did what she did best, and chose the most unlikely course of action. She fed it. Ham or chicken pieces were luxuries but most of the time she only managed bread and jam. After that, there was no separating them.

The dog was male, and huge. Tessa guessed it was an English sheepdog crossed with something close to a retriever or Alsatian - and whatever else. He had golden-brown eyes, shaggy hair, and a drooling problem. He was also very fond of barrelling into the back Tessa's knees, and licking fingers.

The dog stuck to her heels for the next two days. Things were still tense at the house, so the dog and the boys were a source of company. Richie wasn't fond it, which Tessa found hilarious.

It was a comfort having the animal walk next to her after leaving the boys, even if it was just to lay outside the back yard.

Though she knew it was a 'girl's' name - whatever that meant - Tessa had taken to calling the dog Nana, her conversation with Grace reminding her of her love of Peter Pan.

Sure enough, as Tessa stepped out of The Garrison after dropping off some money for Harry, Nana gravitated to her side. She stooped and brushed the dog's hair from his eyes.

"Alright, lad?" she said, scrubbing his scruffy forehead.

She stood up and threw him a piece of cheese from her pocket. He missed it and had to eat it off the floor.

"C'mon."

She found herself slowing down for the dog. Being so large and hairy, he overheated easily and only liked going slow. She guessed he might be getting on in years too. He touched his nose to her fingers as they walked and she subtly tickled him in return.

She knew what her dad would say in that moment.

 _If I'd known all it would take is a dog to make you soft, I would've got one years ago._

Tessa stopped, the smile she wasn't aware she was wearing, disappearing. Nana stopped too.

Kimber's car was outside her house.

"Go on, Nana," Tessa said, trying to push the dog away. "Shoo."

Nana looked up at her. If that wasn't defiance in his eyes…

"Nana, fuck off!"

The dog stood perfectly still.

"Fine," Tessa huffed. "But you're staying in the back."

Tessa led Nana round to the backyard, making sure to leave the gate open for her. The dog seemed content to be left, curling up beneath some sheets Polly had hung on the line.

Tessa meanwhile snuck back to the front of the house and waited. Kimber and his assistant emerged in no time at all, climbed in their car, and drove up through the main road. Hopefully for the last time.

She hurried into the house, through the parlour, and into the shop.

To applause.

Everyone had turned to Tommy, who was stood on the raised platform, brandishing a piece of paper. They were clapping with vigour, a few even hugging each other. Polly wrapped her arms around Tommy as Arthur spotted Tessa.

"Tess!" he called.

He dragged her into the bullring before tackling her in a hug.

"What's the occasion?" she asked, slapping his back and pulling away.

"We're fucking legit!" John yelled, picking her up and spinning her in a circle.

Tessa untangled herself and backed away in shock.

"You mean… the books…?"

She looked up to Tommy, who was smiling at her. She hurried up to him, feeling Polly's hand squeezing her arm. Her aunt's smile was so bright.

He handed Tessa the paper.

"The Shelby family has its first legal racetrack pitch," he said, barely able to contain his excitement.

Tessa grinned up at him. It had been a long, long time since she'd seen him smile like that.

She threw her arms around his neck and he hugged her back tightly.

"Fucking hell, Dad," she laughed. "We're actually… legit. Holy _shit!_ "

He let go of her but kept one arm around her shoulders, his other going around John. Polly went to Tessa's free side and gave her a half-hug, kissing her cheek.

"We did it," Polly said, smiling up at Tommy.

He nodded, "We did it. And this is just the beginning."

If possible, Tessa's grin widened.

Yes it was. It _was_ just the beginning. And Tessa was so fucking excited to get her teeth into whatever was coming next.

* * *

 **Check out the Twitter! Also if any of you guys are Marvel/Supernatural/Criminal Minds/Doctor Who fans, I _might_ have some stuff in the works. **

**These stories are also now on AO3 and Wattpad under youhaventmetme, so you can read on your preferred medium. If there's some other way you prefer to read, let me know and I'll try make that happen. I'm just trying to be as inclusive and accessible as possible.**

 **Until the next time, lovelies.**

 **-A**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the delay - health issues. Getting through!**

* * *

Idly, Tommy wondered whether smoking five cigarettes at once would kill him any faster. It was a thought that crossed his mind often when he went over the mistakes Arthur made with the accounts. Along with which gun he'd rather use to blow his brains out with.

If he hadn't been there with him, Tommy would have wondered if Arthur went to school at all.

"Fuck's sake, man," he muttered, striking out Arthur's _laughable_ sum and writing the corrected version below. That meant everything from the 5th was knocked out of line and -

"Whiskey?"

Grace's light voice cut through his frustration at just the right moment. A second later and he'd have ripped the damn ledger up.

"You're an angel," he said, taking the glass and downing it in one.

She raised an eyebrow, then brought the bottle out from behind her back.

"Good job I brought the whole thing then," she smiled.

He gave a half-nod, holding out the glass. She filled it up and rested against the desk, casting her eye over what he was working on. Not lingering too long. But he could tell she was interested.

"Into numbers, are we?"

"Top of my class. Always."

"That doesn't surprise me at all," Tommy smiled into his drink. "Not one bit."

Grace's smile turned hesitant, "What do you mean by that?"

He shrugged and placed the glass down.

"Nothing."

She hovered and Tommy found that he didn't mind. Her presence was… bearable. He wasn't expecting that.

He lifted his head briefly as a bang sounded from outside The Garrison doors.

"There's some kids playing rough outside. They kicked a ball at the window earlier, nearly shattered it all over Harry," she said.

"Ah well, kids will be kids," Tommy said and set to the next line of wrong figures.

"Any kids in your family?"

"Finn," he answered. "My youngest brother. And then there's my daughter."

He saw her stand up straighter out the corner of his eye.

"You have a daughter?"

"Mm. Though you wouldn't think to look at her. You've probably seen her in here. She's got a look like she'll kill you if you dare come near her, probably drinking Scotch whiskey."

Grace shook her head.

"The only woman I've ever seen you with is your sister."

"She doesn't look a lot like Ada. Or me for that matter. She's her own breed, is my daughter. Still, she's a good asset to the business."

"Asset?"

"And I suppose she keeps good company."

"Her mother must be proud of her."

Tommy didn't react to the very obvious digging Grace was trying to do. He turned the page.

"Her mother isn't in the picture. Just me and her. And the rest of our family, of course."

"Of course," Grace said and smiled at the floor, tucking a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. Tommy watched the action, wondering if her hair would feel as soft as it looked.

"What's her name?" she asked.

"Tessa."

"Oh," she said, her face brightening further. "I met her. She's lovely."

Tommy repressed a laugh, "Perhaps you're thinking of the wrong person."

"Grace," Harry called from the bar. "Could you give me a hand?"

"Coming," she called back and headed to the door. "I'm sure I'm thinking of the right person. I can't imagine 'Tess' is a very common name around here."

"Not Tess. It's Tessa."

Grace frowned, "No, she introduced herself as 'Tess' when I spoke to her. And she really is lovely."

Tommy put down his pen and watched as Grace took his empty glass and left him alone in the back room. He leant back in his chair.

Then smiled.

He knew what Tess was doing.

She was giving her approval.

* * *

Tessa kept a satisfied smile on her face as she tied the top button of her shirt, much to the chagrin of Polly, who was watching with definite _dis_ satisfaction.

"I don't know why you couldn't have worn a dress this once. It's your uncle's wedding day."

"Yeah, if he doesn't cut one of her relatives before he can put the ring on her finger," Tessa pointed out.

Polly gave her a withering look.

"Pol, I've done by top buttons up, that's formal enough for me."

Polly rolled her eyes.

"At least let me do something with your hair."

Tessa stared at her, two defiant wills colliding and holding, then she sighed and flopped onto the bottom of the bed.

"Fine."

Polly settled beside her and shook out her short curly hair. She then proceeded to pin it in different patterns against her scalp, pulling some back into a bun and leaving others to fall in front of her face.

Tessa inspected it in the mirror when it was done and had to admit, it was a vast sight different from her usual style of: brushed. And sometimes not even that.

"Am I bridesmaid-ready?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You'll have to be. I doubt you'll never be the bride with a expression like that," Polly said, but with a hint of humour.

Tessa grinned, "That's just made my day."

Polly smacked the back of her head lightly and threw her her coat.

"Come on, you nightmare."

When they arrived at the camp, all of the men were there. Tessa stood on her tiptoes and spotted John, staring at Esme with the biggest grin on his face. Tessa matched it, glad he was happy with her dad's cupid act. That was one she hadn't seen coming.

She walked arm in arm with Ada up to Tommy and stood either side of him. He gave her an appraising look, no doubt noticing the effort with her hair.

"Polly did it."

"You look nice," he said, then turned to Ada.

Tessa took that as her cue to leave, knowing that there was still tension between the two. She sought out Arthur and bumped his shoulder as she stood next to him. He put an arm around her shoulders, smirking at his younger brother's obvious delight.

"She's a bombshell, ain't she?" he whispered to Tess.

She nodded. Esme was beautiful. Her hair was long, dark and wavy, and her cheeks slightly reddened by the cool air. And there was something wild about her eyes, a sort of defiance that Tessa was instantly drawn to. She knew they would make _excellent_ friends. It was just a shame she was marrying her uncle.

Seeing everyone had arrived, Johnny Doggs began.

"We're here today, to join in matrimony, this man and this woman. So they can live in truth and harmony and togetherness, which is sanctioned and honoured by the presence and the power of these two families around us - "

"Bit long-winded, ain't it?" Tessa muttered.

Arthur grumbled his agreement.

"Do you, John Michael Shelby, take Esme Martha Lee, to be your beautiful wife. And do you, Esme Martha Lee take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

They nodded.

"Then there remains one more part of the ceremony. That's the mingling of the two bloods."

Johnny held out a knife and drew it across John and Esme's palms. They turned to each other and pressed the wounds together, Esme looking up at John with adoration in her eyes already.

"And the two families become one. I now pronounce you man and wife!"

A cheer rang up through the crowd as John pulled Esme to him and kissed her. Tessa shoved Arthur, trying to clap as loud as him and cheering when John caught her eye.

"Now we celebrate!" Johnny yelled, and the clapping intensified.

* * *

Whatever Polly had managed to do with Tessa's hair was completely undone by the speed she was being spun by the Lee boys. She gave as good as she got, sending one of them flying into the mud at one point. He staggered back to his feet, his cousins screaming with laughter at him. He joined in and shouted, 'Again!' and grabbed Tessa.

This was the kind of dancing she liked, not the gentle, precise ballroom shit. After the sixth dance with as many people, Tessa told them to piss off for a while and went to sit down, nursing her side. It hurt from all the laughter and her cheeks ached from smiling.

"Giving up already, Tess?"

Tessa rolled her eyes and groaned as Arthur appeared in front of her, holding out his hand.

"Bastard," she said good-naturedly and let him pull her up.

"If I spin you, will you throw up on me?" he asked.

"I was six, Arthur."

"Just checking."

And with that assurance, Arthur spun her more times than Tessa could keep track of. It must have hit fifteen before she managed to stop, then spun the other way, all the while singing along to Johnny Doggs' folk songs.

"How much have you had?" he spluttered as she fell into him, giggling in a way she would never do sober.

"Too much! No, actually… Henry!" she pushed away from Arthur and went to one of the Lee cousins, who was holding out a drink for her.

He withdrew it before she could grab it.

"Competition?"

She grinned, "Yes. _Yes!"_

Three more ales and Henry was out. Tessa cheered and downed the half he'd left, much to the astonishment and amusement of the other Lees.

Then Arthur's arm was back around her shoulders and was directing her to the edge of party.

"Arthur," she moaned. "Where we going?"

"Your dad wants you."

"He does?" Tessa looked around, a little blurry eyed. "Where is he?"

Arthur took her to a table and she only realised when she sat down that Tommy was sat in the chair opposite her.

"Dad! I was looking for you everywhere!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you were," Tommy said, very clearly trying not to laugh at the state she was in.

He reached out and plucked the glass out of her hand.

"Da-ad."

"No."

"Fine… Can I go dance yet?"

"No."

"Kay, I'm gonna sleep."

"You do that, Tess."

Tessa put her head down on the table, half-closing her eyes.

"Has she passed out?" Polly asked, coming to sit behind Tessa.

"No," Tessa replied without lifting her head.

"She's napping," Tommy supplied.

"I wish Ada would do the same. You tell her to slow down."

Tommy scoffed, "You think she'll listen to me?"

Tessa made to get up, "I'll go talk to her."

"Sit down," Tommy and Polly said at the same time.

Tessa sent them a glare but fell into the chair, whether she meant to or not. She watched Ada and Arthur spinning from the corner of her eye as she laid her head back down onto the table.

"I've tried stopping her but she's been drinking. Not unlike this one," Polly sent Tessa a mock-scathing look, to which Tessa responded with a grin.

"She's been stuck in that little basement for weeks, what did we expect? She's going off like a firecracker - oh Christ, Tommy please," Polly begged as Ada did a particularly violent twirl.

Tessa clapped.

Tommy cuffed the back of her head as he stood up.

"Not helping."

Tessa watched him go over to Ada and say something, then the world began to blur at the edges and she couldn't really make out what they were saying. She vaguely realised that everyone else had gone quiet and Ada was pushing Tommy, then nothing.

The next thing she was aware of was someone shaking her shoulder.

"Come on, Tess for fuck's sake!"

She opened her eyes and slowly sat up with a moan.

"What?" she snapped up at John who was pulling her up by her arm.

She snatched it away from him.

"What?"

"Ada's gone into labour," John said.

Nothing is quite as sobering as that.

" _What?!"_

"Yeah so get in the fucking car!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

* * *

"Fucking hell," was all Tessa managed to get out as she climbed out of John's car, knowing away Arthur's hand as he tried to help her down. "I am _never_ getting in a car with you again."

"What makes you think I'm gonna offer!"

Tessa helped Esme down and leaned up to whisper,

"He's a bastard but he's a good'un."

She laughed and hurried to the door where Polly was waiting.

"Tessa?" Polly asked when Tessa didn't move.

"I'm probably not the best person for this job," she held her thumbs up. "You've got it under control."

"And you're going to the pub for more drinks with them?"

Tessa nodded.

"Come on, Pol, her cousin's being born, let the girl celebrate," Tommy said, pushing Tessa over to his brothers. "She can have a few more drinks."

"Cordial?" Polly asked.

"God, yes."

"What about Freddie?" Tessa asked from the headlock Arthur had her in. "He should be here."

"Just what I was thinking, Tess," Polly said, but she was looking at Tommy.

He put out his cigarette.

"Tell Freddie the truce lasts until sunrise."

Polly beamed and bounded back up the stairs.

Tommy did not keep on his promise of cordial, allowing Tessa to have one more round with her uncles in the snug while he sat out in the bar.

She'd fallen asleep through their second round of cards, curled up beside John. He wasn't concerned. She'd been that drunk before and was fine. She had his constitution. She was always at least partially in control of herself and she had the infuriating ability of never having a hangover. They always told her that it was just because she was young and she'd get them soon enough She'd then call them sadistic for wanting to inflict that pain on her.

Tommy listened as his brothers got rowdier. He shook his head with a smile and accepted another drink from Grace.

"You want me to open that champagne now?" she asked.

Tommy smiled softly but before he could answer, the doors to the Garrison burst open. An irate Polly, tears in her eyes, stood stock still for a moment, focused on him.

Tommy felt his smile fall. Ada.

"Pol?" he asked.

"It's a boy," she said, moving towards him. Then suddenly she was running, beating her hands against his chest. Tommy grabbed her arms in attempt to keep her back.

"Polly? Pol? Whoa!"

Alerted to the commotion, John and Arthur came from the snug and each grabbed one of Polly's shoulders.

"Calm down," Arthur said as she struggled.

All the while staring at Tommy.

"But the police came and took his father away."

Tommy stood there, stunned.

"I - " he said in confusion.

"Don't you _dare_ look at me like that!"

He barely managed to shake his head before Polly threw off Arthur and John, and spat at him.

"You liar."

And with that, Polly stormed back out, slamming the door with shattering force against the jamb. Tommy just stared into the middle-distance, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Tommy?" John said.

He glanced up at him, then behind him, to the snug door. Tessa had woken up and was leaning against wall. She too was staring at him with a certain amount of confusion, but disappointment too. Betrayal.

Without saying a word, she turned and headed for the door. She let it close much quieter than Polly did, and was gone.

"Walk her home," Tommy managed to say.

Arthur didn't reply but followed Tessa out, John close behind him.

Tommy closed his eyes. This was going to take a whole lot of fixing.

* * *

Tessa didn't stay long at Ada's basement. She hovered just outside the door, not even speaking. She couldn't imagine. Just because she herself had never been in a relationship, didn't mean she didn't realise how much losing the person you loved must hurt.

And despite not being a baby person, she was anxious to meet her cousin. A boy. That's all she knew.

But now wasn't the time.

Tessa took the books out her bag - _Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz,_ and _The Secret Garden_ \- and laid them gently beside the untouched hamper of food Polly had left earlier.

"Your mum will enjoy reading these to you, mate," Tessa whispered under her breath.

They were the editions Ada had read to her when they were little.

She straightened up, and left.

* * *

 **As ever, chapter published on Wattpad, AO3, and linked on Twitter. Read on your preferred medium, loves.**

 **Until the next one.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Just a heads-up that this story now has a prequel of oneshots following Tessa growing up called _Spark of Rebellion._ The first chapter is up now and follows the beginning of the War. **

* * *

"Dad. Stop."

Tommy resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his daughter, knowing it would do more harm than good.

She didn't understand the seriousness, because he hadn't told her. He should have, he reasoned, but the thought of admitting it out loud to her made his stomach churn.

He'd written in black star day in the diary just that morning. If - when - it did happen, Tessa needed to be prepared, and he needed to know she was ready. If he didn't think that was the case, he would have no qualm keeping her with Polly in the house, no matter how much fuss she would kick up over that.

He'd rather have her pissed and alive than dead if she wasn't ready.

But, of course, Tessa wasn't exactly being cooperative as she - along with the rest of the family - still believed he gave Freddie Thorne to the police, and was currently stomping a few paces ahead of him. He'd thought she'd grown out of the stomping.

"Tessa," he snapped.

Reluctantly, she came to a stop. He fell into step with her and they carried on.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To Charlie's."

"Why?"

"Just wait."

Tessa made a noise that _could_ have been a huff. Tommy shook his head slightly at her. She never huffed.

Thankfully, she stayed quiet until they got there, then turned to face him with her eyebrows raised.

"Now what?"

Tommy reached into the holster beneath his jacket and retrieved his gun. He handed it to Tessa, who accepted with confusion.

"Arthur said you were doing well with these."

Tessa nodded. Arthur had been helping her with guns for the last few months. She'd gotten used to the kick and was able to adapt to different distances. It hadn't come naturally to her the way fighting had, but she'd managed to pick it up eventually. With a lot of hard work and swearing on Arthur's part.

"I want you to hit that crate on the other side of the water."

Tessa spun to the river and found the small crate.

"Can I move or you want it from here?" she asked, seeing it was off to the right.

"You can move. No getting closer though."

Nodding, she moved accordingly so she was lined up properly. Then she raised the gun, pulled back the hammer, and fired. The wooden crate exploded, splinters shooting off in all directions. She looked back to her dad, who had a small smile on his face. She handed him he gun back.

"Arthur wasn't lying when he said you're good. You wouldn't have even tried this time last year."

Despite being upset with him, Tommy saw Tessa fighting her own proud smile. But mixed with his own pride, there was relief too. That skill could save her life. Though it would do nothing to impede the course of a bullet fired at her. She'd have to make sure to get the first shot in.

"Next, then," he said, trying to not too think too hard on that notion. "I want you to go down to the boxing ring and get Cameron to set you up with someone. Someone who'll make you work but won't hurt you."

"They'd be lucky."

"Oi," Tommy said, lightly tapping the side of her head. "Don't get cocky. I need you to deliver if the situation calls for it. I can't afford to worry about you."

Tessa folded her arms, regarding him with suspicion. Her eyes were so sharp. Defiant but intelligent. Polly was right, she was too much like him, and he decided in that moment that that wasn't a good thing.

"And what 'situation' are we talking about, Dad? Eh?"

"A hypothetical one."

"Thought you'd say that. Try again."

"Careful, Tessa."

She unfolded her arms. She didn't want to fight.

"If something's going on, I deserve to know."

"And you will, when the time is right, but for now - "

"It's Billy Kimber, isn't it?"

Tommy blinked, "Eh?"

"It's Kimber. You're making your move."

"How did - " he shook his head. "Yes."

"And you're involving me."

"I didn't think you'd settle for anything less. It's time, you think?"

"You're right," she said, nodding. "And I'm gonna have to use a gun?"

That clenching in his chest returned at his daughter saying that. He swallowed and tried to make his voice as even as possible.

"Yes."

She nodded again. Paused.

"Thank you for trusting me."

"Don't ever think I don't trust you, Tess."

Tessa cleared her throat and shot him a quick smile, muttering, "Yeah. Same for you."

"Good."

She scuffed her shoe across the gravel. They weren't used to speaking like this.

"I'll go to Cameron's now."

Too awkward.

"Be careful."

But she was already walking away, with even more haste than usual. Then she stopped and said without turning,

"I know you didn't snitch on Freddie."

Then she carried on, disappearing around the corner - a group of men parting for her as she did so.

Tommy took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag. Having Tess on his side always made things so much easier.

* * *

"She just doesn't stop moving!" Bedford groaned from the floor of the ring, once again.

"Because she has too much bloody energy," Cameron said, shooting Tessa a grin. "Still got you on your arse though, hasn't she."

"I could knock you out in one," Bedford said as he got to his feet. "I could. Too fucking skinny, could blow you over, fuck's sake!"

"Whenever you're ready then."

Bedford swung again and Tessa ducked under his arm easily, regaining her footing and sweeping him to the ground once more.

"You were saying?"

"Time out," Cameron said as Bedford scrambled up, cheeks flaming.

Tessa climbed over the ropes and hopped down next to Cameron, who handed her a towel. She took it and the two of them walked over to the edge of the room.

"So?" she said, wiping her forehead. "Thoughts."

"You're good, obviously. You've had good teachers."

"Yeah."

"But he's right. If you'd just stayed still for more than a second, one punch and you'd be out. You're smaller than him and though you're fairly strong for your size, you don't have a lot of weight behind you."

"That's not something I can help."

She'd always been that way. Polly once mentioned it being down to a 'rough start' when she was a baby but hadn't mentioned any more than that. Slightly small, slightly skinny, and always picking on people bigger than her.

"Then just don't stand still," Cameron said with a smile. It was in that smile that Tessa saw the relation to his brother, Harry, from The Garrison. "And try to build up some muscle mass in your arms if you can."

"Shouldn't let fucking girls fight," Bedford muttered as he disentangled himself from the ropes and landed less than gracefully to the floor. He picked up his shirt.

"Remember who you're talking to," Tessa said coldly.

He raised his head, seemed about to say something, then changed his mind. So he had a brain, then.

"I'm going to the new place. I'm not fighting with her no more."

"New place?" Tessa asked Cameron once Bedford had left.

"Set up a few days ago," Cameron scratched the stubble on the side of his face. "Lost quarter of my custom to them. Most'll come back once they see the quality of the ring. Put together with shoeboxes."

"Do they have a license?"

"I don't know."

"Well does my family know about it?"

Cameron shrugged, "You'll have to ask them."

"You know what, Cameron, I might just do that," Tessa said.

Tessa sent word to John and Arthur to let them know about the new organisation and went to check it out herself first. As soon as she stepped into the unfurnished building, sweat and smoke filled her nose. It made her eyes sting.

"Anyone of you heard of a window?" Tessa announced to the packed room.

No one paid her any attention; there was a fight in the ring that had captured everyone's gaze. They were two older men, Tessa saw as she pushed her way through. One was dark haired and had scars running from the corners of his lips up to his hairline, and was giving the other a significant punishing.

"Look at this!" Arthur's voice was slightly muffled under the shouts of encouragement from the crowd. "Bloody raking it in. Who's running this carny?"

Tessa shouldered her way out of the crowd over to her uncles. She fell into step with John just in time to hear,

"Ain't he heard? No one craps in a pot without the decree of Tommy almighty."

Tessa punched his arm.

He yelled and spun around, scowling when he saw it was her.

"The fuck you doing here? Thought you were waiting."

Tessa snorted, "Yeah, that definitely sounds like me, doesn't it, John?"

John rubbed his arm as Arthur sauntered up to the guy running the place.

"Mr Marston, I believe," Arthur said. "The ringmaster."

Marston looked back at him with enough confidence to let them know he had _no_ idea who they were.

"Proud I am to say so," he replied.

"Well these here are civilised parts," Arthur said. "If a man wants to set his stall up with fellas lamping each other, he needs himself a license."

"A license?" Marston spluttered.

"For a fee," Arthur tipped the remainder of his whiskey onto Marston's shoes. "From those in charge."

A roar went up as one of the men hit the deck with a satisfying thump. Tessa turned to watch as the scarred man kicked him forcefully in the back. She turned back to Arthur.

"How about I keep my money, and you can stick your license up your arse crack!" Marston said, taking a step closer to Arthur.

Arthur took a similar one, towering over the smaller man.

"Hey, you don't want to talk to me like that," Arthur said in a low voice.

"And who the bloody hell do you think you are?"

"My name - "

"Is Arthur Shelby!" a very difference voice replied.

Tessa watched Arthur freeze, then slowly turn towards the ring. The scarred man was stood, grinning at the crowd, but as his gaze fell on the Shelbys, it fell. Then returned, softer.

"Dad?" Arthur murmured.

* * *

Tessa didn't say anything on the way back to Watery Lane, keeping her distance from John, Arthur, and… him. She waited outside the front door for Polly's shouting to calm down before entering. It was only when she hovered beside Finn in the kitchen that he seem to realise she was even part of their party.

"So who are you?" he asked, settling himself down at the table.

Tessa stood with her arms folded and said nothing.

"This is Tess, Dad. Tommy's kid," Arthur supplied as he placed a sandwich in front of his father.

Tessa shot him a glare, then shifted her eyes back to Arthur Sr. His face split into another insincere smile.

"Well, haven't you grown up well."

"It's difficult to do it badly."

"Tessa," Arthur warned.

"Come and sit down next to your grandad, eh?"

"She doesn't want to," Polly snapped at her brother. "That much is obvious."

"Pollyanna," Arthur Sr said with exaggerated patience. "I'm hardly - "

"You're not waltzing in here after all this time and expect - "

"I was invited by - "

"You haven't seen her _or_ Finn so you have no right - "

Tessa heard John sigh and decided to make a move. She pulled out the chair beside Arthur Sr and dropped into it. She held her hands up.

"Are you satisfied?"

"Very. My first grandchild. Now I can see your face."

"I'm not your only grandchild. Did you know that?" Tessa asked. "John's got kids."

"Have you now, John-boy? That's grand. I'll have to meet them."

Tessa knew he had no such intention, and was aware the others in the room knew it too. Unfazed, he turned his attention to his sandwich.

"Bless you, Father, for these bounties we are about to receive - "

"Jesus Christ," Polly murmured, turning her head away. She was the queen of being elegantly annoyed. Tessa sent her a grin.

"Please woman, not in vain," Arthur Sr said with a coy smile.

"Finish your sandwich and sling your hook," Polly snapped.

Tessa eyed the bread knife he was holding as Arthur Sr turned in his chair to face Polly.

"Pollyanna, I am an honoured guest of the head of this household so why don't you maybe tend to your mangle or your scuttle?"

"Oi!" Tessa snapped before Polly could.

Arthur Sr barely deigned to look at her, while Arthur kicked her shin under the table. She didn't react out of principle but gave him a sharp not-so-subtle kick back.

"Anyways, the head of the family ain't here," Tessa said, watching Arthur as she said it. "Dad will be on his way."

Arthur looked to his father, annoyance morphing into shame. He chewed the inside of his mouth and quietly cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Tommy sometimes… helps me. With the business, Dad."

The hesitance in his voice made Tessa feel a little guilty. She hadn't meant to drop him in it like that, really. She regretted opening her mouth before thinking.

The back door closed, wafting the curtains.

"Well, speak of the devil," Arthur Sr said, getting to his feet.

Tessa did too, taking a step closer to John and Finn. She had a feeling this wasn't going to be pretty.

Tommy stopped in the doorway, taking in the scene in one sweep.

"How are you, son?"

Tommy's eyes landed on his father and he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

"Get out."

Arthur Sr cocked his head, holding his arms out, "Come on, son. I'm a changed man."

When her dad spoke, Tessa could hear the strain in his voice. A sadness and resentment that she didn't often hear.

"This family needed you ten years ago. And you walked out on us."

Arthur Sr let his arms drop.

"Not now," Tommy continued. "Get out of this house."

"Tommy," Arthur tried. "He's different - "

"You shut up," Tommy cut him off, still focused on their father.

There was an uncomfortable pause, in which Tessa found herself struggling to know who to look at - Tommy's anger, Arthur's hopefulness, or Arthur Sr's… blankness. Surely he couldn't be disappointed. Surely he'd known he wouldn't be welcomed back.

"It's alright, son," Arthur Sr finally said to his eldest as he stood. He took his coat from the back of the chair and laid it across his arm. "Arthur Shelby, never stays where he's not welcome."

Then, after a brief glance at Polly, looked to Tommy. He took a deep breath and said with a bitter smile,

"Quite something you've become."

Tommy didn't reply but his eyes followed his father's movements as he sent a round of smiles to his other children, ruffled Finn's hair, then went to touch Tessa's shoulder. She shrugged him off the second his hand made contact.

He pulled back but lingered for just a moment, looking down at her. There was something too intense in his stare, something that even with her best glower, Tessa couldn't match. Then he smiled a smug smile, tipped his hat, and proceeded down the hall to the door.

Only when the door shut behind him could Tessa relax.

"He's our dad," Arthur said quietly.

Tommy let out a long sigh.

"He's a selfish bastard."

Arthur smiled wryly, but kept facing the table.

"You calling someone a selfish bastard? Bit rich, Tommy. Thanks to you, we're already down a bloody sister."

"If you want to see him, Arthur, you go with him," Tommy burst out, stooping slightly to look his brother square in the eye.

Arthur stood, dragging his chair back across the wooden floor, but faltered under Tommy's look. He kept his head down, clenching his jaw as he pushed not-so-lightly past Tessa and out the door.

John was next, shaking his head and swearing softly.

Tessa felt Finn go to move, then hesitate.

"Finn," Polly said, and he turned to run after his brothers.

She muttered a curse and chased after him.

The front door shut for the last time, leaving Tessa and Tommy alone in the kitchen.

Tommy seemed to deflate, dropping into Arthur's chair. He shuffled it closer to the table and rested his elbows on the surface, running his hands through his hair.

"I'm sorry," Tessa said, not knowing what else to say.

Tommy didn't say anything to that.

So Tessa sat in the seat she had previously occupied, and sat in silence.

* * *

Two hours of silence later, in which Tessa read and Tommy was lost in his head, Tommy stood without warning. Tessa looked up at him as he handed her her coat from the back of her chair. She took it and followed him to the Garrison, all in silence.

It was dark now, and so Tessa got a start when she felt Nana's nose touch her hand. She felt herself smile and stopped to crouch and ruffle the dog's ears. He looked up at her with his soft brown eyes, full of loyalty only a dog could hold.

"Who's this?" Tommy asked, the first time he'd spoken since his father had left.

"Oh," Tessa said, straightening up and feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "This is… Nana."

"You have a dog?"

"He's a stray. He just follows me sometimes."

"You like him."

"Yeah, I do," she said defensively.

Tommy nodded and held out his hand towards Nana's nose. The dog gave him a hesitant lick, then nudged his fingers with his nose.

"He likes _you,"_ Tessa said, amused. "He likes everyone."

Tommy ruffled his ears and carried on down the path. Tessa and Nana kept up with him, Nana glueing himself to Tessa's side. The dog filtered off as they reached The Garrison, trotting off back down one of the nearby alleys.

"You could bring him in," Tommy said as he held the door open for her.

They headed straight for the bar, where four empty seats were suddenly vacant.

Tessa shrugged, taking off her hat, "I don't think he likes the noise."

Tommy got them both a whiskey each, and was quiet again. Tessa watched him from the corner of her eye. He had that look that had arrived when he came back home. The look that had been hardened by the war, which had been chiselled from blood and mud and horrors Tessa could only imagine. She never stopped worrying about that look.

"Do you remember him?" he asked, staring down into his glass.

"A tiny bit. I remember him when Grandma was ill."

Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say.

"Arthur seems to be in love. You should have seen his face at the ring. Were they close?"

"Arthur was close to the idea of being close to our father," Tommy muttered. "Can't think why. The man's never even met Finn."

"It must be difficult for him. Finn, I mean," Tessa quickly clarified as Tommy raised his eyebrows. "I could keep an extra eye out for him, make sure he's okay."

"That would be a good idea. Thanks, Tess."

"Any time."

Tessa shifted as she felt someone sit beside her, conversation forgotten. She fixed her eyes on the man, as he settled his hat on the bar beside her and ran a hand through his ginger hair. He exhaled and turned to her.

"There are other seats, mate. Why don't you find one of them," she said, a biting edge to her voice.

The man smiled at her.

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Miss Shelby."

The Irish accent alone was enough to set Tessa immediately on edge. Tommy's hand appeared on her back as he pulled her a little closer so he could see the man.

"I presume you're here to see me?"

"My name's Byrne. I had word from your man in Camden Town that you wanted to parley."

"Then parley it is," Tommy said evenly. "If you'll excuse me for just a moment."

Byrne bowed his head respectfully. Tessa recognised the fake-cordial tone as the one her dad adopted in business and kept her mouth shut as Tommy took her by the elbow over to the door. However, he paused before opening it.

He turned and led her to the snug, closing the door ajar.

"I don't want you walking home in the dark when there's Irish here. Stay in here till I've finished and if we move into here, wait out in the bar. Don't go out that door without me, alright?"

"Right. If I can't help…"

"Not with this one."

He squeezed her shoulder and slipped back out into the bar. He closed the door and Tessa sat down at the long bench. It was strange seeing the room empty. If her dad wasn't there, Arthur or John or one of their cousins would be.

Tessa curled up her legs and rested her chin on the table.

She needn't have made herself too comfortable however, as not long after he had left, Tommy opened the snug door with Byrne close behind him. Tessa got up, restraining a sigh, and went out into the bar. Harry gave her a sympathetic smile and handed her another drink.

Two drinks and an hour later, Tessa was getting restless.

"You just sit there, lass," Harry said. "They'll be done soon."

But she was tired, hungry, and done.

"I'm going home. Anyone bothers me and I'll deal with it. I don't need someone to protect me going down my own fucking street."

"He means well."

Tessa knew that, of course, but she knew she was right too.

She fixed her hat over hair and walked out into the night. She walked with her hands out of her pockets, semi-clenched at her sides and kept her eyes alert to her surroundings. It was then that she saw a man she hadn't expected to see again.

Arthur Sr was walking towards her, but had his head down. He hadn't seen her.

She knew she should have left it, let him walk past and let it go. But then she remembered the haunted look in her dad's eye, and the betrayal on his face when he saw him sat at the kitchen table.

Before she knew what she was doing, Tessa was striding up to her grandfather, blocking his path. He looked up in mild annoyance until he saw who it was, then smiled.

"Tessa! How lovely to see you this evening."

"Stay away from my family," she spat. "You've caused enough trouble and you've barely been here a day."

"I _am_ your family. And they were mine long before they were yours, sweetheart," Arthur Sr grinned. "Remember your place."

"My _place?"_ Tessa repeated incredulously. She scoffed, "At least my place is here, with the people who need me. Can't say the same for you. Like Dad said, we needed you ten years ago, and you weren't there. Don't come back now."

Arthur Sr kept smiling throughout, irking Tessa to no end. He reached out a hand and tapped her chin.

"Maybe you should ask Arthur what he thinks about that. Or little Finn. He's quite taken with his old man."

Then Tessa's hands were on his lapels, throwing him into the wall without a second thought. She shoved her face close to his, bearing her teeth.

"You do not fucking talk to Finn. I won't let you corrupt him, you piece of shit. Next time you go near him, I'll rip out your fucking throat, hear me? I'll smash your skull on these cobbles and throw you in the Cut. I'll - "

"Pull out my tongue through my teeth?" Arthur Sr mocked, that fucking grin still on his lips. "You've certainly got your father's temper."

He leaned in.

"But that's where the similarities stop, darling."

Tessa frowned but kept her grip tight.

Arthur Sr grabbed a lock of her hair.

"Where did this come from, eh? Who in this family has curly hair? Who in this family has this _brown_ hair?" he moved his hands down to her cheeks. "And your eyes? Where's the blue, eh? You're a runt of a Shelby… if you even are one."

"The fuck…" Tessa breathed, but that was all she got out before she felt herself being flipped, Arthur Sr slamming her against the wall of the alleyway.

His breath was thick on her face as he leaned in further.

"As soon as I saw you, I wondered how no one else had seen it. Not one bit of your dad in you. Not one bit of Shelby."

"My mum had curly hair. I got my eyes from her," Tessa snarled. "This is fucking - "

"Did she?"

Tessa stopped.

"Never got to meet you, did you?"

"You know I didn't."

"Just dumped you on our doorstep."

"Made a change from you being passed out on it," Tessa retorted, but she heard the weakness in her voice.

"Never seen a picture?" at her silence, he laughed. "Your mother was a blonde, baby girl. Straight as a dye, and blonde. And… now you mention it… tall. You must even be shorter than my Ada."

"She's not your Ada," Tessa said quietly.

An ache had begun to form in her stomach. She felt sick and hot and dizzy. This didn't make sense. It couldn't.

Arthur Sr brushed a curl out of Tessa's face.

"She's not yours either," he whispered.

Tessa's legs felt simultaneously like lead and rubber. A knot had formed in her throat, tightening with each word.

"You didn't think I'd have just accepted that bitch's story? I found her family, found her friends. Found her… lovers."

"'Lover _-s_ '?"

"I didn't say anything then. I thought he'd have gotten rid of you eventually. Then everyone started to become fond of you, and I knew they wouldn't believe me anyway."

"So you let Dad believe…? No, I mean - I - this is bullshit!" Tessa yelled, panic clawing at her throat. "You're fucking making this up!"

"Shall we tell your dad that then? Shall we have a family meeting and discuss it properly?"

"No."

Tessa shook her head vigorously, the panic tripling. She grabbed Arthur Sr's forearms and his grip on her intensified.

"You need to fuck off. Right now."

"Scared I'm right?" the traced the side of her cheek with his finger. "What do you have if not this family? The reason you're still alive is because people think you're a Shelby. Otherwise, with an attitude like yours, someone would put a bullet in your head."

Unable to take any more, Tessa disentangled herself from his grandfather, stumbling out onto the path. She tried to take a breath in, but it stuck somewhere between her throat and lungs. It just added to the knot there, threatening to snap.

She hadn't felt panic like this since the war.

She heard Arthur Sr come up behind her, stopping a safe distance away.

"I'm going. As you asked so nicely, you won't see me again. I hope I've given you quite enough to think about."

She glanced over her shoulder as he tipped his hat, and carried on his way.

As soon as he was out of sight, Tessa doubled over, resting her hands on her knees and tried to rake in a breath. It was bullshit. He didn't know anything at all, he never did. He was never around enough and he didn't deserve to be able to affect her like that.

But… something squirmed in the back of her mind.

She didn't look like Tommy. Or anyone in the family. She was little, they were tall. Their hair was straight and black, where hers was curled and chestnut. She was similar to them in personality, but was that something she had learnt or had been born with?

Could it have been that some part of Tommy knew when she was a baby? Was that why he didn't bond with her?

Tessa felt the bottom fall from her stomach.

Arthur Sr was right. She was nothing without the Shelby family. She was nothing without Arthur's rough affection, without her dad's tough but ever-present love, without the camaraderie with John. Without the comfort and bookish conversations with Ada, or the stern but motherly Polly, who treated her like a daughter. Finn was one of the few people Tessa could be completely herself around. Who she allowed to show her more caring side to.

Tessa looked up the empty street. She felt exposed, like someone had ripped open her clothes and skin, straight down the middle.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she headed back home, and vowed to never speak of the conversation with her grandfather ever again.

* * *

Tommy was furious. He'd kept his calm until Byrne had left but as soon as he was gone, he let it show as he wheeled on Harry.

"Where is she?"

"She went home. I tried to stop her but you know what she's like," Harry said apologetically.

"Fuck," Tommy swore and tore out of the pub.

He scanned the streets as he walked, hoping Tessa had taken this route home. He didn't see anyone around, nor did he hear her voice anywhere nearby.

 _You had better be at home, Tessa Shelby,_ he thought as he shouldered the door open and stormed into the kitchen.

He took one look around, saw she wasn't there, then shouted for her up the stairs.

Polly came from the sitting room and slapped his arm almost instantaneously.

"Finn's sleeping," she hissed. "Arthur just came by with him."

"Where's Arthur had Finn this late?"

Polly folded her arms and gave him a look.

"You know where."

Great. With his father. How Arthur couldn't see how poisonous the man was baffled Tommy. He'd thought his brother was smarter than that but then again, he had a habit of his judgement being clouded when family was involved.

"Has Tessa come home?"

Polly let her arms fall to her sides.

"No. Why," she demanded.

Tommy was already hurrying to the door, Polly close behind.

"I told her to stay put and she - "

The door opened before he reached it, and he let out a heavy breath of relief as he saw Tessa stood on the step. Relief quickly turned to anger as he pulled her inside by the arm and turned her to face him.

"What the fuck was that, Tessa?"

She kept her eyes averted.

"Oi, look at me!"

She did, and Tommy felt something shift in his chest. Something was wrong. Forgetting to be angry, he loosened his hold on her arms. She was pale, and her eyes were puffy, as if she was holding back tears.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "Nothing. I'm tired."

She pulled away, heading for the stairs. She had schooled her voice well but Tommy could still detect the slightest tremor.

"No, Tessa," he pulled back. "Tell me what's wrong."

He cupped the side of her face, trying to work out what was different.

"Something's happened," he said, fear pricking in his stomach.

She didn't look injured, but that didn't mean much.

She leaned into his hand slightly.

"Tess, tell me."

She closed her eyes briefly and when they opened, Tommy saw how exhausted she looked.

"I swear I'm just tired. And the thing with your dad and thinking about Grandma. It's just been a strange day."

She gave him a reassuring and utterly unconvincing smile.

"Promise me."

"I promise. And I'm sorry for leaving."

Tommy grudgingly accepted her apology, and her promise.

"As long as you're alright. Don't do it again."

He let his hand fall from her face and gave her a nudge to the stairs.

"Go to bed."

She nodded and traipsed up to her room. Tommy watched her every move, his concern not diminishing one bit.

* * *

 **It'd be pretty cool if you could check out the prequel and drop a few suggestions for stuff you want to see. DMs on here and Twitter are open, as well as the review section.**

 **Love you.**


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